


Virus

by attfna



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Blow Jobs, Drinking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, First Kiss, Fluff, Hand Jobs, Holidays, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Smut, Oh my god they were quarantined, Panic Attacks, Scars, Sickfic, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, grad school, no exy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:15:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23124598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attfna/pseuds/attfna
Summary: Neil hates his neighbor Andrew, and Andrew hates Neil. Neil also hates being cooped up in one place. So when their student apartments are quarantined due to a viral outbreak on campus leaving them the only two people on their floor, it's basically his worst nightmare. But strangely, Andrew might actually be the one who ends up saving him...if he doesn't kill him first.~*~All credit to Nora, I own nothing.
Relationships: Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 156
Kudos: 888





	1. The lock-down

**Author's Note:**

> As my job has basically moved to defcon 1 over the coronavirus, this inspiration hit. PLEASE DO NOT THINK I AM MAKING LIGHT OF THE ACTUAL VIRUS BECAUSE IT IS A SERIOUS THING. The literal only thing it has to do with this fic was it made me think about a quarantined Andriel. Also, I’ve never written any kind of AU (I rarely even read them) so this is a change for me. I'm turning my stress into something fluffy don't @ me.
> 
> For the purpose of this story most of the canon stuff happened only there is no Exy and they didn’t all go to school together. Neil went to school with Allison, Kevin, Dan, and Matt. Andrew went to school with Aaron, Nicky and Renee. This is a little later on down the road – Andrew and Neil are both in their last year of grad school (Andrew took time off to work before going back so that’s why they’re in the same year), Aaron is Dr. Minyard, Nicky and Erik are married and live in Germany. Pretty much everyone else is based in Atlanta except Allison and Renee who are off having careers in other states. 
> 
> This will be around 5-ish chapters? First one is pretty short.
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T

**_ Day Four _ **

**_ Tuesday, December 17th _ **

Was it a coincidence that Andrew flipped the channel from a cable showing of ‘Men in Black’ to the local news, just in time to see a headline flashing along the bottom of the screen that read  _ ‘Local stores low on essentials as two hundred new cases of the H3N4 flu are diagnosed in Atlanta residents _ ’? Probably. But he briefly recalled Tommy Lee Jones delivering a line from the movie, ‘A person is smart, people are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it,’ and drank in the irony. 

This had been coming for a while. The WHO had just declared the outbreak a pandemic when it reached Georgia. Andrew wasn’t really concerned, despite the alarming number of deaths and the failure of the US Government to act appropriately. But after a long conversation with his twin, who was a first-year resident with a PhD in microbiology, he decided to take precautions. They both thought the outbreak would be contained and pass quickly, but that people would panic and make everything a hundred times worse than it needed to be. For weeks, Andrew noticed more and more people on campus walking around in face masks, some even with gloves. He couldn’t even find his favorite hand sanitizer, the only kind that didn’t dry his hands out, in stores anymore. At his brother's suggestion, Andrew stocked up on the things he could find, mostly so he wouldn’t have to go out into the public for a while. He managed to turn in all his assignments a week early and wouldn’t even have to go to classes in the week leading up to winter break. He was sure that by the time he returned for his final semester of graduate school in the spring, that this would have all just been a mild nightmare. 

The suspected ‘mild’ nightmare turned into a slightly more ‘moderate’ nightmare when two people on the first floor of his building were diagnosed with the virus. Two days later, the rest of the building was quarantined. And not just in a ‘don’t leave your homes’ kind of way, but a guys-with-hazmat-suits and plastic-barriers-keeping-them-trapped-inside kind of way. 

His first thought was to panic, but after skype session with his old therapist, she reminded him that even if there wasn’t a quarantine, he’d likely be spending his break lazing around his apartment anyways and that helped set him at ease. 

His neighbor, however, was not at ease. On Monday, the third day of their quarantine, the idiot that lived across from him made a bid for freedom. Andrew was drawn to the landing of the third floor in time to see his neighbor, Neil, shouting obscenities with a switchblade in his hand, tearing through the plastic on the level below. He almost made it through before he was corralled by a couple men in hazmat suits. They got the knife from him and forced him back up the stairs, threatening to taser him if he didn’t cooperate. Once he calmed down enough, they began to re-do the barrier and sprayed it down with a cannister of something chemical smelling. From the other side, slightly obscured by the opaqueness of the thick plastic, one of the men was talking in a calm but authoritative voice that made Andrew think he was a cop. Andrew had never liked cops. 

The man was reassuring Neil that this would all blow over  soon, but his short-fused neighbor just flicked the guy off and stormed back up the stairs. Andrew was leaning against his own door with his arms crossed, having watched the entire thing unfold, when Neil spotted him. He scowled at Andrew and barked out a  _ ‘the fuck are you looking at? _ ’ before going back inside and slamming the door so hard it made the little wreath fall to the ground, a gift Neil’s friends had put up a week ago.

Andrew went back inside, not giving the scene much thought. Andrew hated Neil. Which was fair since Neil also hated Andrew. Neither were  really sure why. Andrews door mat went suspiciously missing the day after Neil moved in and he accused Neil of the theft. Neil banged angrily on Andrews door when he played loud music after midnight. He also  smoked, or held a cigarette in his hand sometimes on the balcony (which was connected to Andrews) and Andrew told him to knock it off since he’d quit a few months ago and smelling it was annoying. It was the little things. Over the first few months their animosity had turned into a childish prank war, but eventually classes went into full swing and they settled into passively ignoring each other. 

Despite how much he  _ didn’t care _ about his neighbor, Andrew  actually knew quite a bit about Neil. He had  all of the building tenants on google alert and knew their entire life story within the first week of them moving in. However, when Neil moved in at the beginning of the summer, nothing turned up. Which was incredibly suspicious. Andrew’s master's degree he was pursuing was in cyber security and after a bit of (not entirely legal) digging, he found everything he needed. Nothing had turned up on Neil because Neil wasn’t a real person. He was a fabrication, made up by the feds after  _ Nathaniel _ had testified against his dead mobster of a father. Andrew suspected the scarred asshole was hiding  _ something _ , but the Nathaniel  Wesninski story was still surprising. Andrew, of course, kept the news to himself. He had plenty of skeletons in his own closet and didn’t judge the guy based on his past – just that he was annoying as fuck. But none of that mattered since they would graduate in five months and then he would never have to see the man again. Andrew had already been scouted by a private firm in Colorado and would move after he got his degree.  _ Good riddance _ , he thought. 

On day four, around three pm, Andrew was on the phone with his cousin – Nicky. Or he was walking around with the phone in his hand on speakerphone, barely listening. Nicky was in a panic because someone at his husband's office got diagnosed with the virus and he hadn’t heard from Aaron in two days. Andrew made a mental note to call his brother but was sure he was just ignoring Nicky's calls since that’s what Andrew usually did. Mostly his high-strung cousin was freaking out about Christmas being ‘cancelled’. He and Erik were supposed to fly into the states on the 23rd and stay through New  Years but he was worried their flights would get cancelled and that Andrew will still be stuck in quarantine. Deep down, Andrew wanted to see his family. Very...deep down. He would kill for them after all.  _ Had _ killed for them. But they also exasperated him to no end. He high-key  hated family gatherings and would probably have been perfectly content to stay home and eat hot pockets while watching serial killer documentaries instead. 

Nicky was balls deep in another tirade when someone knocked at Andrews door. For a split-second he was confused and then he automatically knew who it would be because unless the quarantine was lifted, there was only one person it COULD be. Tuning Nicky out, he opened the door with a practiced glower, one he reserved for that special someone. Neil was standing there, hand perched to knock again. He looked objectively terrible – had bags under his eyes, was paler than his tanned skin should allow, and his eyes looked dull. His hair was also poking up in all directions and his clothes were wrinkled like he attempted to sleep in them. The most striking thing about his appearance, however, was that his expression was more neutral than Andrew had ever seen it. Usually he looked like a smug piece of shit Andrew wanted to drop from the roof of the building and watch bounce off the pavement.

“What?” he asked, his voice effectively shutting Nicky up and causing Neil to flinch. 

“I....” Neil stuttered and  dropped his hand to the side, blue eyes casting downwards slightly. 

Andrew’s brows shot up to observe the man and he nudged his cats away from the open door with his socked toes. He was about to slam it in Neil’s face when Nicky’s voice rang out again. 

“Andrew? Who is it? Is it your hot neighbor?” he guessed.

Andrew jammed his thumb to end the call. It rang again but he stuffed the phone into the pocket of his  sweatpants . 

Neil shifted from one foot to the other, met Andrew’s gaze briefly, and then looked away again. 

“ Never mind ...” said Neil, turning around to head back towards his apartment. 

_ Good. Leave _ , Andrew thought. 

But there’s something wrong. Something about the way Neil was walking, dragging his feet slowly across the concrete landing, the way his shoulders hunched, dejected. Andrew’s jaw  tightened and every instinct he had said to walk away. 

“Wait....” he muttered, this time with less of a bite. “What is it?”

Neil shook his head without turning, hand on the knob. “It’s nothing...”

Goddamnit . Why did he have to sound so pathetic? 

“ _ Neil _ .”

Neil froze. Andrew had never called him that before. It’s always been ‘Josten’ or ‘Asshole’ or some other creative slur. At a  snails pace, the man turned, eyes lifting up again to meet Andrew’s. 

“I just wondered if you had anything to eat....” asked Neil, sighing heavily and his ears turning noticeably pink. Like it took every ounce of strength he had to get the words out.

For a moment, Andrew’s gut bottomed out. He knew that look, that quiet tone. He recognized it from years of being bounced around shitty foster homes during his childhood; the look of someone who wasn’t used to asking for help because they’re not used to getting any. The look of someone who was embarrassed to ask in the first place because they’re not sure they deserve it. 

Even though he already decided to help the bastard, he didn’t plan to make it easy on him. And besides, he can’t take anymore of Neil’s pitiable state and needed him to snap out of it if he was going to tolerate him long enough to feed him. Then they could get back to hating each other like proper enemies.

Andrew tipped his head towards the stairs. “Why don’t you go ask Captain  Clorox . I’m sure he can find a way to get you something.”

Neil scowled then and Andrew much preferred it to the quiet frown. “I’m not asking those dicks for anything and I’m not getting  tased . If you don’t have anything it’s fine.”

He started to turn again but Andrew took a step away from his door, opened it wide and pressed it against the wall. “Come on.”

The breath Neil sucked in was loud enough for Andrew to hear from several feet  away but the man braced himself and took a few tentative steps, pausing at the threshold. The cats scurried away where they'd been inching closer to the door again when Neil took a step inside. Andrew closed the door quietly and observed the intruder who was surveying his living quarters with calculating eyes. They bounced from the sofa and television, to the cut out of the dining room that Andrew had filled with free weights and a treadmill. He was still staring when Andrew brushed past him towards the kitchen. 

Andrew had never let anyone other than his blood relatives enter his apartment, with the exception of Nicky’s husband, once, when he moved in, and Renee, an old teammate from his undergrad years, though she’d only been by a few times since she lived in California. He almost brought one of his random hook-ups home  once but ended up blowing the guy in the darkened landing out front and then slamming the door in his face when he asked if he could stay the night. So, the fact that Neil was the first outsider to see his home was not lost on him.

The cats reemerged as Andrew padded across the cheap laminate and opened the narrow pantry. It was still plenty  stocked and he took a minute to weigh his options. He could feel Neil behind him, hear him lean against the doorframe. Finally, he snatched a box of mac and cheese. Neil’s eyes followed his movements when he set the box on the counter and opened the fridge. In the drawer at the bottom were a handful of vegetables that were going to go bad soon. The woman who lived a floor below him had somehow taken a liking to him when he’d moved in four years ago and  once he had agreed to feed her cats while she visited her parents, it was all over. She was constantly bringing him things – baked goods from her church, fresh fruit and veggies from her trip to the farmers market, random cat toys she saw that ‘reminded her of him’. He couldn’t tell if she was hitting on him or not and considered blowing her off so she would take the hint; but honestly, he liked free food. And her cats were much nicer than his; the little bastards. 

Andrew plucked out an eggplant and what he thought might be a beet and plopped them on the counter next to the box of pasta. While he was leaning down to dig through a lower cabinet for a discarded plastic bag, Neil picked up the eggplant suspiciously. 

“Is this supposed to be a subtle euphemism?” he asked, arching an auburn eyebrow so that it disappeared under unruly bangs. 

Andrews mouth twitched. “For what?”

“For ‘you’re a dick’,” explained Neil. 

“Why would I need to be subtle to tell you that?” he shot back, and Neil smirked. 

That goddamn, infuriating,  _ attractive _ , smirk that Andrew both loathed and  secretly tried to coax out of the man every time they ran into each other. 

So, here’s the thing. Neil was a disaster. A bad idea from top to bottom. He was loud, obnoxious, he had stupidly predictable habits that Andrew could set a clock by if he wanted to. Not to mention he constantly had people at his apartment. Usually the same three people but they were there  _ all  _ the time and just as obnoxious as Neil. 

But Neil was also unfairly attractive. Sure, he had scars on his face and hands, and Andrew bet that he had them in the places he always covered with bulky clothes as well. But he also had a lean, runners build and long legs for someone who was so short. His calves were disgustingly sculpted and Andrew would bet money that he shaved his legs. He also had the bluest eyes, the softest looking hair, perfectly shaped lips and a jaw that could cut diamonds. And Andrew was very, very gay. So, he could appreciate the aesthetic that was Neil Josten and still want to strangle him to death.

When his brain allowed him to wander back to reality, it was in time to see Neil roll his eyes. He put down the vegetables and let Andrew put them in a plastic bag. 

“I don’t know how to cook an eggplant,” he admitted, drumming a scarred finger on the counter-top. 

Andrew’s stare dragged upwards  again and his lips flattened. “Neither do I. Just google it or something.”

Neil nodded and took the bag when Andrew handed it to him. Their fingers brushed for a split second and Andrew withdrew the limb quickly, not liking the little flop in his chest at  _ all _ . 

“Well...uh...thanks,” said Neil, turning to walk back towards the door, giving the curious felines a wide berth. 

Strange. They usually didn’t like other people. They certainly hated Nicky and Aaron.

“You really ran out of food already? We’ve only been stuck inside for a few days.” Andrew asked as they neared the door. 

Neil turned, bag in hand with both sets of fingers looped through the handle. He nodded. “I had to turn in a project Friday. Took me two  weeks to finish it. I planned to go to the store Saturday but then all this bullshit happened. I think I also stress ate a lot of it. I don’t like being stuck inside. Guess I got a little claustrophobic.”

“I just asked if ran out of food, not for your life story,” chided Andrew, immediately annoyed at himself for sounding so tactless. He looked down at the cats weaving around his legs to distract himself from his shitty attitude, and the way Neil’s placid expression wavered to hurt for just a blink.

“Right,” said Neil, quiet and subdued. “Well this should last a few days.”

Neil turned to open the door and as an afterthought added another ‘thanks’ over his shoulder as he left. Andrew watched the door for a solid three minutes before turning away, his mind somehow blank and buzzing at the same time. 

What the fuck  _ was _ that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made up the flu thing so don't bother googling the number.


	2. Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are safe and healthy! And I hope you’re not trapped on the third floor of your building with only your infuriatingly attractive neighbor to keep you company (unless.....?) 
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T

**_ Thursday – December 19 _ ** **_ th _ ** **__ **

Andrew liked living alone. Partly because he just didn’t like people, and partly because it was a privacy he had never been afforded until recently. Between foster homes, juvie, moving in with his brother and then cousin, college dorms... three weeks in a mental institution – someone was always around, usually to his great displeasure. It wasn’t until he took time off after college that he was able to live alone. It took some getting used to – not being jerked awake by every noise (at least until he got the cats), constantly fending for himself instead of dumping his laundry in with Nicky’s clothes or eating all of Aaron’s leftovers. The sharp edges of his personality had smoothed out a little over the years, but essentially being a shut-in also made him less tolerant. He’d lived in this  particular building for four years and the only person he had ever spoken to was Amber, in the apartment below, and Neil, to antagonize him. He certainly didn’t give any of them a second thought once his google searches (and sometimes more) had proven his neighbors all to be relatively harmless. 

So why couldn’t he get Neil fucking Josten out of his head? Looks aside, something about him peaked Andrew’s curiosity. His old therapist, Bee, would tell him that his hyper-fixation meant something – that it wasn’t insignificant. Maybe he would call her later, just to tell her how wrong she was. 

The timer on his phone went off and he pulled the second batch of blueberry muffins from the oven, dropping them with a clang so he didn’t burn his fingers through the threadbare  mits that desperately needed replacing. They looked perfect. Like something Nicky would spend twenty minutes taking pictures of and posting to  instagram instead of eating. He wished they were chocolate chip. He was fresh out of semi-sweet morsels but had an old bag of frozen blueberries that had been occupying his freezer for a few months that needed to be used.

Baking had become something of a grounding technique for Andrew. Years ago, when he was having a hard time transitioning to the constant silence of his empty apartment, Bee suggested he needed a hobby. Something soothing that would keep him busy both mind and body when his muscles already ached from over-exercising. Something that was healthier than a few of his other coping techniques. A job cooking in the dingy kitchens of a sketchy nightclub during his teen years had taught him the basics, but baking was something else entirely. It required precision and attention, something Andrew was willing to give when there was a payout, and he always did like sweet things. When his anxiety flared it also helped in other ways, even if he wasn’t home. He repeated ingredients and recipes in his head as a distraction: one cup of flour, three quarters cup of sugar, mix, pour dry ingredients....

But he wasn’t stressed  at the moment . He certainly wasn’t thinking about  _ Neil _ and the look on his face when Andrew had all but thrown him out with an uncaring quip. And he wasn’t thinking about Neil, climbing the walls in his apartment next door, trying to ration a bit of mac and cheese and disgusting vegetables like they lived in some third world country. He was just, you know, bored. Really.

Pushing away from the counter, Andrew dug his fingers into the edge and leaned forward, body angled towards the floor. Sir, the larger of the cats, plopped his furry, fat ass down at his feet and looked up at him expectantly, yellow orbs glowing in the shadow of Andrew’s body. His meowed loudly. 

“What the fuck do you want?”

_ Meow.  _

Andrew sighed heavily. Clearly the baking wasn’t doing it. Maybe a work-out. 

Forty-five minutes and a shower later he was bored again. Surfing the internet? Fruitless. And depressing. Folding his laundry? Not a chance. Daytime tv? He’d rather throw himself from the balcony. Why the fuck had he stopped smoking? 

After changing his clothes, twice, from the pile on his bed, Andrew packed away a dozen of the muffins in tin foil and headed onto the landing between the apartments. It took him a few minutes of glaring at the door to knock, and when Neil answered, the expression was still stuck on his face. 

Neil, however, for one incredible moment, looked elated, and Andrew knew that he thought the quarantine had ended. On his cursory glance to the stairs, which were still blocked on the landing below, he realized this wasn’t the case. When he turned back to Andrew his face dropped. 

“Oh...hey,” said Neil, clearly not  believing he lived in a universe where Andrew Minyard would have ever knocked on his door. 

“Here,” grunted Andrew, thrusting the foil covered package against Neil’s chest. 

Andrew made a show of brushing imaginary crumbs from his black  v-neck sweater and army green joggers, giving himself an excuse to look down just so he could drag his eyes over Neil on the way up.

Neil was wearing track shorts, showing off his perfect fucking calves, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. But he looked a little more put together than he had the day before. Andrew took note that the bags under his eyes were gone and his wavy curls at least looked combed on top of his head. 

Neil looked down at the package and eyed it warily, undoubtedly having flashbacks to their prank war earlier in the year. “What is it?” 

When Neil stepped back to adjust the item in his arms, Andrew took the opportunity to brush past him into his apartment, ignoring Neil’s indignant ‘Hey!’

Marching from the door to the kitchen was intentional and Andrew didn’t bother scanning the rest of his surroundings – their apartments were mirror layouts. Neil kicked the door closed and trailed behind him. Andrew could hear the crinkle of the foil as Neil peered inside but drowned out the sound by  noisily opening and closing cabinets. 

“It’s rude to barge into  peoples homes, you know,” Neil pointed out, though he sounded more amused than irritated. 

“Rude?” countered Andrew, pulling open the freezer, “I’ve never been called that before.”

The fridge was the last placed he checked. Neil was telling the truth – he really was out of food. He seemed to have flour, sugar, a half a stick of butter, a dozen or so condiments and oils (half of them expired), a rotten banana, and a  brita filter with water. There was also half a pot of leftover mac and cheese and something purple in a tupperware in the fridge. 

When Andrew turned around, Neil had one of the muffins in his hand. He held Andrew’s gaze while he brought the confection to his mouth and his lashes fluttered as he took a bite. Impending starvation clearly won out over his  suspicion . 

Andrew’s stomach effectively bottomed out again and he had to turn away to keep from watching Neil lick a smudge of blueberry from his lips. 

“This is amazing ....did ...did you make  these?” he asked, still chewing. 

“Yes,” Andrew answered, shortly. 

Then he plucked a can of lentil soup from the cabinet and dropped it on the counter, the only can that had been there. 

“I’m not eating that,” Neil said quickly, eyes narrowing towards the blue can. 

“Then why do you have it?”

“I think I bought it by mistake,” said Neil, taking another bite of the muffin. 

“In case you haven’t noticed, your kitchen is barer than a newborns ass, you can’t exactly be choosey right now,” stated Andrew, turning and crossing his arms over his chest, his sweater straining around his biceps.

Neil's eyes flicked down so quick he nearly missed it. But he just swallowed and shook his head. “I will cut out my own tongue before I eat another lentil.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” sniffed Andrew. 

“You’re the one who barged into my apartment and searched my kitchen. Don’t you need a warrant for that kind of thing?” quipped Neil. 

“Do I look like a cop?”

Neil gave him an appraising once over and then  smirked, “Definitely not.”

Andrew watched him take another bite of the muffin, smiling around it appreciatively. It was a much softer look than Andrew usually witnessed, and one that had never been directed at him. He’d seen it when Neil welcomed his friends into his apartment or on the rare  occasions he would see them walking down the street together. But never for him. And he couldn’t blame the guy, Andrew had only ever been a dick to him. Instead of deciding he liked Neil looking so relaxed, he picked up the can of lentils and stepped on the pedal of the silver trash bin – he sure as hell wasn’t eating that shit. When the lid popped  open he saw a mess of something goopy and black on top. Andrew’s disgusted face prompted Neil to take a step around the counter to see what he was looking at. 

“Ah...eggplant,” Neil said, nodding sagely. “I think I burned it.”

Andrew dropped in the can and it bounced a little off the cereal box underneath, smacking wetly on the eggplant remains. 

“How the fuck did you try and cook it, dragon fire?”

Neil huffed a laugh and finished the muffin. “That would have been interesting at least. I just tried to fry it in a pan but google is a lying piece of shit and so it  sort of...melted.”

“You should toss your trash. It’s going to  reek in here by tomorrow.”

Blue eyes flicked towards the trashcan and back to Andrew. “How though? We can’t exactly teleport it to the dumpsters.”

“I’ve just been dropping mine off the balcony,” Andrew said, tone flat. 

For a moment Neil looked as though he might roll his eyes, but then he grinned. “You’re not serious...”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I dunno...” said Neil. “Isn’t that like, illegal or something?”

“Is there something about me that makes you think I care?”

A flash of teeth had something rebellious stirring in Andrew, and  somehow, he thought he and Neil might be more alike than he originally thought. 

“Yea...alright...” he said, still grinning. “Let’s do it.”

Ten minutes later the pair found themselves on Neil’s balcony. They double bagged the trash and then dropped it over the railing onto the hedges. It landed next to two other bags that were likely Andrew’s and the pair exchanged a self-satisfied look before heading back inside. Neil plucked another muffin from the foil and followed Andrew into the living room, where he finally paused to take in the surroundings. 

Where Andrew’s apartment was modern, tidy, and filled with modern tech and amenities, Neil’s was cluttered and homey, even though he only had a few items. There was a shabby, but comfortable looking beige couch with one blue and one yellow pillow, along with a small blue recliner that served as living room furniture. Several blankets were strewn across the surfaces and a book lay open on one arm. The coffee table was low to the ground and round and had several empty mugs on top. There was no television. Instead the small entertainment center was stacked with what looked like board games. When Andrew leaned back, he could see Neil  actually had a small table in his dining room, fitted with four chairs, one of which held a backpack. A laptop was open on the table and several textbooks and piles of paper was littered around it. Several balled up pieces were on the floor nearby. And there were clothes everywhere. A jacket here, a hoodie there. Several pairs of shoes were haphazardly kicked near the door. 

Acutely aware that Neil was watching him take in the lay of the land, Andrew gestured towards the wall near the door just to break the silence. “You don’t even own a tv?”

Neil came to stand beside him, contentedly munching on his second muffin. He shrugged. 

“Up until May I lived with my friend Matt so most of the stuff in the apartment was his. But he got married so I had to move out. I keep meaning to buy one, but I don’t really watch tv. When my friends come over we mostly just hang out or play games...”

Another sarcastic barb sat on the tip of his  tongue but Andrew kept it at bay, stuffing his hands into his pants instead. 

“Games?” he asked, trying to sound marginally interested. 

Apparently, Neil wasn’t _ that  _ much of an asshole when Andrew wasn’t picking at him. Or maybe he was just happy to have some sort of human company to distract him from the abhorrent situation they were in. Either way, he pleasantly explained a few of the games, and even though Andrew hadn’t  _ asked, _ said most of them required three to four players. The blond wandered over towards the pile and pulled his hand from his pocket, tapping one of the boxes towards the bottom. 

“You play?” he asked, straightening up to look at Neil, who shook his head. 

“I mean...I know how,” he explained. “Kevin taught me back at undergrad but I’m shit at it.”

Andrew nodded a few times, making up his mind. He reached down and carefully released the box from the stack and then made a 180 towards the coffee table. When he pushed all the mugs towards the edge Neil took the hint and collected them, hooking the handles with long fingers while they clanked together. 

“You want to play?” he said, looking a little confused, even though Andrew was already emptying the contents of the box on the table. 

“Why not? You have something better to do?” asked Andrew, separating out the chess pieces and unfolding the board. 

Neil shifted to his other foot. “I just thought...I mean, you hate me.”

“ Irrelevant .”

Neil started to smile but Andrew shot him a withering look that effectively wiped the expression from his face. Instead he darted to the kitchen to drop the mugs in the sink. When he returned, he had two glasses of water in hand. Neil settled in, sitting on his calves, bright blue eyes focused on Andrew’s hands as they set up the board. 

“You sure?” He asked again. “I know I kind of had a mental breakdown and might starve to death and everything but that doesn’t mean you have to hang out with me.”

Andrew cut him a flat look and spun the  board so the white pieces were in front of him. “Kicking your ass is going to be the highlight of my day. Your move.”

Neil smirked and reached for a pawn.

_ That fucking smirk.  _

* * *

Andrew was a very good chess player. He could also bake really well. And when he was close enough, you could see the smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose, pleasantly marring his pale skin. His eyes also had little flecks of gold when they hit the light just right. And his biceps and shoulders struggling against the fabric of his sweater did things to Neil’s insides that he didn’t want to think about. Or maybe he did. Having spent most of his formative years as a runaway, moving place to place, being contained in an 800 square foot box was definitely driving him insane. Maybe that’s why his insufferable neighbor’s presence had suddenly wormed his way into Neil’s brain. Which was currently mulling over all the new things he now knew about Andrew, things he didn’t bother knowing in the eight months he’d lived there. Some things, which made him, once again, question his sexuality. 

Neil had tried dating in college the first time around. First his friend Allison and then later his friend Kevin, if you could call what he’d done with Kevin ‘dating’. One sloppy make-out session and two disastrous outings, the latter of which had ended in a screaming match, couldn’t really be called dates. It had gone better with Allison for a while, until they ended up half dressed in her bed and Neil suddenly panicked and ran out of the dorm, ghosting her for days. They ended up talking and agreeing to be friends (so did he and Kevin, in the end), but something about the encounter still bothered Neil. He listened to his friends constantly talk about who was hot and who they wanted to get in their beds, and it all sounded just...unpleasant, to Neil. He could acknowledge attraction, Allison and Kevin were both incredibly attractive people. But whenever Neil thought about doing anything sexual with them it was like someone had flicked an ‘off’ switch on his libido. Most of the time his arousal had nothing to do with another person and whenever it reared its metaphorical and literal head, Neil just took care of it with near clinical precision. It felt good...like stretching after a hard run, or a nice cup of tea at the end of a long day. Something that relieved stress. But never had looking at a person made him  _ feel things _ . 

The whole situation made him rethink Andrews dinner offer and when his phone chimed 7pm he jumped, startled. But it would be rude to just not show up, especially after Andrew had given him food and spent the day beating the shit out of him at chess – which he guesses was more for Andrew’s benefit than his own, but it was a much needed reprieve for the both of them from their current predicament. 

And Andrew hadn’t exactly given him an opportunity to decline. After winning his sixth game in a row, the blond had tossed out a seemingly meaningless comment before he left:  _ “I have a few vegetables that are about to go bad. Stop by at seven if you don’t want to starve.” _

At seven-ten, Neil found himself standing in the cold landing between their apartments, shivering a little in his faded jeans and thin cotton shirt. Before he could knock, Andrew jerked the door open with a reproachful look. 

“We are trapped on this floor with absolutely nothing to do, how could you possibly be late?”

He seemed annoyed, though Neil was discovering that might be his default setting. To diffuse the tension he held up the canisters in his hands for inspection. 

“I couldn’t decide what teas to bring...” he said, smiling weakly. 

Now Andrew was looking at him strangely, though seemingly less irritated than before. He muttered a ‘ _ whatever’ _ and stepped aside to let Neil in. 

The cats immediately flocked to the door, scattering again briefly when Andrew stalked towards the kitchen. They wove between Neil’s legs and meowed quietly. Andrew shot a suspicious glance over his shoulder before going back to the large pan on the stove – a wok, it looked like. 

Neil rounded the counter and paused a couple feet behind Andrew, who visibly tensed, so instead of coming closer he just tucked his hands in his pockets and stood on his toes, leaning forward. 

“It smells good...whatever it is.”

Andrew sighed and gave the food an impressive flip in the wok with a jerk of his wrist. “Chicken stir fry.”

Neil hummed approvingly. Normally he wasn’t fond of vegetables, but years spent as a college athlete had forced him into better eating habits than he had when he was a child. And he would eat pretty much anything when it was slathered in teriyaki sauce. Maybe not lentils. 

“Can you check the rice?” asked Andrew, tipping his head towards the counter behind him next to the sink where a rice cooker sat. 

Neil opened the top and steam poured out. It looked done so he told Andrew as much. 

The next hour passed in near silence, though a surprisingly comfortable one. They sat on the floor in front of the coffee table and ate heaping portions of stir fry piled on top of fluffy white rice while Andrew constantly shooed the cats away. Netflix played in the background, some documentary about the Roman Empire that neither of them paid much attention to but Neil thought Kevin might have appreciated. When they were finished Andrew finally allowed the cats to return and he scratched each of them on the ears in turn. When the one he called ‘King’ got close enough, Neil ran a light hand across her back until she slinked away and his eyes widened with wonder, like it was the first time he’d ever done such a thing. Andrew looked at him then, with similarly wide eyes, but when Neil caught him he turned back towards the television. 

Neil volunteered to clean the kitchen up and Andrew let him. He washed the dishes and put the ones that would fit in the dishwasher before making two cups of tea. He settled for the spiced apple, it seemed fitting for the holiday season. Not that he cared about holidays. He also had a sneaking suspicion that his own family was  actually Jewish . 

Before he could bring the mugs out Andrew appeared, probably drawn by the smell. He picked up the cup, sniffed it skeptically, and then opened the pantry, pulling out a bag of sugar. He had a spoon in hand and was just about to shovel the granules in when Neil stopped him. 

“Don’t use sugar, try honey,” suggested Neil.

Andrew’s blond brows knitted together but he did as he was told, pulling a small, golden bear from the pantry. 

Neil took a sip of his own, non-diabetic inducing tea, and chewed his lip while Andrew stirred...at least a few teaspoons, of honey into the mug. He wasn’t sure what expression had settled onto his features but Andrew’s eyes were darting back and forth between Neil and the honey still in his left hand and he drew his lips to a sneer. 

“Don’t even fucking think about it....” he accused. 

Genuinely confused, Neil dug his brows into his forehead and just answered, “I wasn’t thinking about anything...”

Andrew sucked in a breath and snapped the cap on the honey, putting it away. “Good. Because if you ever put honey on my fucking doorknob  again I am going to run you through a wood-chipper and feed you to my cats.”

The creative threat of murder aside, Neil’s lips curled upwards as he recalled their ridiculous and ever escalating pranks when he first moved in. He laughed, a real laugh. Not a faint noise under his breath or a sound cut short by self-consciousness. 

“I only did that because you hung a banner from my balcony that said ‘send nudes’,” he said with a smirk. 

The corner of Andrew’s mouth twitched and he  maneuvered around Neil, back towards the living room. 

“They did you know...” Neil said, sitting back down, “Send nudes. I got at least four dick pics in my mailbox the next day. One was a polaroid.”

He set down his cup with a loud ‘click’ on the glass top, eyes wild and piercing blue. Andrew almost recoiled when Neil leaned forward a little, his fingers digging into the edge of the table. 

“OH GOD...you didn’t ....you didn’t send me one of those did you?” he asked, incredulous. 

“What? No. Of course not,” scoffed Andrew. 

Neil settled back down to lean against the back of the couch. “Oh...okay...good. Because none of them were very impressive.”

Andrew quirked a brow. Neil shrugged. 

“I haven’t known you  long, but I think if you ever sent a dick pic it would at least be artistic,” he joked. 

Andrew huffed into his cup. “There is no such thing as an artistic dick pic....”

Screwing up the side of his mouth in thought, Neil nodded. “Hmm....I guess you’re right.”

And because it couldn’t get any stranger, sitting here with Neil, talking about cocks....

“What did you do with them?” asked Andrew, just to keep the conversation going, sure he threw them in the garbage. 

Neil grinned again. “I shoved them 201’s box.”

Andrew barely suppressed a smile of his own. “The douchebag below you that wears two polos at a time and pops the collars?”

“Yep,” explained  Neil. “His name is  _ Chad _ . One time after it rained, he intentionally drove through a puddle on the street and soaked me when I was out running.”

“And you only sent him unsolicited dick pics? You’re soft, Josten.”

“I save the hard stuff for my short, angry neighbor. I like a challenge.”

* * *

Before they knew  it hours had passed. They alternated between talking and watching whatever played in the background on the tv. Neil told Andrew about his friends and his time playing lacrosse for the NCAA, the scholarship that got him through college. At first Andrew mostly listened, only interjecting occasionally. Neil skirted around any of the complications of his past and Andrew didn’t force him to talk about it – he already knew most of it anyways. And eventually Andrew  opened up enough to tell Neil about his brother and cousin, and his time at college playing soccer, also for the NCAA on a scholarship. How he’d been recruited and only agreed to join when the team agreed to sign his brother and cousin too, knowing that they wanted to go to college but otherwise couldn’t afford it. He even told Neil about Aaron’s career path and how they stopped speaking for a few years when he started hooking up with a cheerleader Andrew didn’t like. Andrew intentionally left out his earlier years as well and Neil didn’t pry. Bee would be proud of him, Andrew thought, for talking to someone outside of his small inner circle. Maybe he was tired, or bored, or going insane from the isolation, but talking to Neil had been calming. Easy. Like they were riding the same wave-length. 

Just after midnight, Andrew yawned quietly, covering his mouth. The gesture made Neil sympathy yawn and his ended with a small, tired chuckle. 

“I should probably go to bed...” said Neil, standing and taking both empty mugs with him. 

He deposited them to the sink and watched the hem of Andrew’s shirt raise, revealing a pale strip of skin as he stretched his arms overhead. Neil averted his eyes and walked slowly towards the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. 

“Hey...thanks. For the food and everything,” said Neil, shoulders tightening a little. “It was nice...it’s been a long time since I had a new friend.”

“I’m not your friend,” Andrew said automatically, a reflex he couldn’t control, though he immediately looked uncomfortable by his own words. 

“Oh...um....okay....” muttered Neil, obviously trying to act as if the words hadn’t hurt. “ Well...thanks anyways. Night...”

He opened the door and Andrew reached out, snagging his wrist. Neil turned, vision flicking from Andrew’s strong hand around his arm to intense hazel eyes. Neil’s mouth dropped  open but the words never came. Instead he twitched a little when Andrew squeezed his wrist. 

“Night....” Andrew muttered.

It was just one word, but it held no animosity. Neil nodded and pulled his lips back, giving a single nod. 

And then he was gone, back to his own apartment. Leaving Andrew to again stare at his own door and wonder what the fuck was happening. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone needs to teach these disasters how to flirt.
> 
> Also I'm laughing at the image of how furious Andrew would have been to touch his doorknob and have it come back sticky because we know he hates messes. I'm surprised he didn't just set Neil on fire.
> 
> Next chapter tomorrow.


	3. Survival of the Fittest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate the comments!
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T (though there is some referenced/non-explicit masturbation)

**_ Friday, December 20th _ **

Waking up to a raging hard-on was always a nuisance to Neil, especially when it was persistent enough to not go away on its own; especially when he forced himself to take care of it in the shower and Andrew Minyards face kept creeping up behind his closed lids, his dusty pink lips the last image in Neil’s mind before he came. 

It was barely after six and despite having tossed and turned a good portion of the night, Neil still woke with the sun. His normal morning routine consisted of going on a run and then maybe hitting the gym. Then he would go to work at the coffee shop, his shifts varying depending on his classes that day. He would drink strong coffee and snack on fresh fruit and go about his days in hard-earned peace. Since none of that was possible, Neil forced himself to clean up around the house. After eating two muffins and the last of his pickled beets (they weren’t so bad, now that they had been soaking in a vinegary-sugar liquid for a while), he vacuumed twice, washed a load of clothes, surfed the web for any information about the retched virus, looking for a glimmer of hope for when their captivity might end. According to the CDC people could be contagious for up to fourteen days without showing symptoms. God, he hoped he wasn’t stuck here for another week. 

From the information given, it looked as though their campus had been hit pretty hard. Along with his building, two others on campus were quarantined (one being part of the main dorms) and six others in the city were also on lockdown. The rest of the country wasn’t fairing much better. 

In one article, it said ‘aid’ was being provided to all residents who were ‘self-quarantined’ and Neil scoffed at the words. No one had been by to offer them shit. Though maybe shouldn’t have gone after them with a knife – that probably hindered their chances of being priorities. 

Neil was laying on his couch, propped on one of his pillows with his laptop on his knees when a skype call came through. He had been transparent with his friends about the situation, most of it anyways, and returned all their messages so they wouldn’t worry. But Matt could only hold out for so long. Neil’s years of  _ ‘I'm fine’ _ , while downplaying his health and welfare, meant a few words through a computer screen weren’t enough. He sighed and opened the video link. 

“Hey Matt...”

“Neil! Thank god ..... are you sure you’re okay man? I can’t believe you’ve been stuck there almost a week. That’s insane! Everyone has lost their damn  minds, they were even out of bottled water at the store Neil...water!”

Neil fought a smile at Matt’s ‘mom’ antics and reassured him that everything was indeed okay. He neglected to mention the fact that he had tried to escape, but that was an inconsequential detail. He did mention he had run out of food and quickly downplayed it, reading the worry on his friends' face, adding that he now had enough food.

“Are you  _ sure _ you don’t need anything? You look kind of tired. I’m sure I could bust you out if you wanted to stay with us...or I can bust in. ..scale the wall like batman...” he said, in total seriousness.

Neil chuckled. “Or maybe not...you remembered what happen at the rock wall at the gym last year. And besides, you can’t just leave Dan there. You should stay home so she and the baby don’t get exposed to whatever this bullshit virus is...”

Matt nodded solemnly, glancing back at his pregnant wife who was napping on the couch in the background. “You’re probably right...I’m just worried about you. I know you don’t like being cooped up. I can’t imagine how frustrating it is to be stuck there by yourself.”

“The  only thing that’s frustrating is  _ Andrew _ ,” Neil said, regretting the slip up instantly. 

“Andrew? Your neighbor that tried to have _ eleven _ take-out orders delivered to your house in one day?”

Neil scowled at the memory. That  particular prank had pissed him off the entire weekend. “Twelve...and those were just the ones I was home for.”

“So why is he frustrating? Is he pranking you again because he’s bored or something?” asked Matt.

Neil shook his head and considered lying. Ultimately though, he spilled his guts, a terrible habit he’d picked up a while ago after Matt had been around for some of the more colorful years of Neils life. He figured if the guy could take sticking with him after his kidnapping and subsequent torture, then a few confused ramblings wouldn’t hurt. 

“I just don’t get it....one  second, he’s helping me, the next he’s being a total dick,” Neil said, sighing dramatically and rubbing his temples furiously when a headache threatened. 

Matt tapped his chin thoughtfully before speaking. “Maybe he just isn’t used to doing nice stuff? You said you never see anyone go to his place. It doesn’t really sound like he has friends. And besides...you were kind of like that when we first met.”

“I was not...” Neil said defiantly. 

“I mean not really the being a dick part...but the doing stuff nice for people part. Whenever we did nice stuff for you, you always got that deer in headlights look, like you were going to dart into oncoming traffic,” explained Matt.

Neil grumbled something incoherent and was just about to offer a more lucid counterpoint when someone knocked at his door. He froze. 

“Yea...that look...” chuckled the Matt on the screen. “Is that the door?”

The knock was hollow sounding, low, like it had come from the bottom of the door. And since it was the first noise he’d heard from outside, no tell-tale signs of them ripping down the quarantine, it must have been Andrew. 

“Is that him?” Matt asked, now grinning for some fucking reason. 

Neil glared and hissed at him to be quiet. There was another knock, the same sound but this time a little louder and a call of _ ‘Neil.’  _ His eyes flared and he started to close out the  call but Matt held up a large hand. 

“Wait...” he said quietly. “Just minimize the screen and put the computer down somewhere I can watch. For you know...science...”

Neil rolled his eyes but did as Matt  asked . He wasn’t entirely wrong. Neil’s social skills had drastically improved over the years, but there had been a time when his friends thought he might be a lost cause. Maybe Matt could offer better advice with a little insight. 

He propped the laptop on the arm of the couch, facing catty-corner to the door but still in a position where it didn’t look intentional. He muted the machine and minimized the skype call, pulling up the internet tab again before he padded to the door. Neil smoothed his hair down, which hadn’t been brushed after his shower, and pulled it open. 

“About fucking time...” said Andrew, thrusting his hand outwards towards Neil. 

The blond was holding a steaming mug in each hand and Neil took it with slow hesitation, a question in his eyes. 

“Coffee...” explained Andrew, looking only mildly irritated. “I noticed you were out yesterday. There’s no creamer or milk, I’m out.”

“Oh...um...thanks. I take it black anyways,” said Neil, taking a sip and nearly burning his lips. 

Neil took a step back and Andrew took a step forward. For a moment he thought Andrew might come in, but instead he just hovered at the threshold, letting in the slightly cooler air of the outside landing. There was a long silence, several moments where Andrew wouldn’t meet his gaze. But when their eyes locked and Neil opened his mouth to speak, Andrew held up a hand to stop him. 

“I don’t have.....friends.” Andrew said quietly. 

Neil tilted his head to the side, not understanding. He didn’t sound as though he was looking for pity or sympathy. 

“Okay,” responded Neil. 

“Last night I....you’re not a completely insufferable person. Sometimes.”

Neil smiled, understanding. This was Andrew’s way of apologizing. 

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” he teased. 

“I won’t make a habit of it.”

“Or...” Neil countered, leaning into his space a little. “You can just tell me about all the great qualities I have. Just to get them off your chest.”

Andrew scowled and deadpanned, “I’m never being civil to you again.”

“Aww...Andrew don’t be like that. I already made us friendship bracelets and everything.”

“I hate you,” replied Andrew, though the words lacked any sort of venom and the corner of his mouth twitched to hold back a smirk. 

“Fine...fine...have it your way...” he said, but Andrew was turning away now, apparently reaching his limit of playful banter. “I’ll just mail you the bracelet...maybe shove it under your door...”

Neil grinned as his shoulders tensed. But before he went back inside his own  apartment, he turned to look over his shoulder. “I’m making some sandwiches in an hour.”

The door closed and Neil was still smiling when he turned back around. It took him a second to snap out of his, suddenly much more pleasant, mood and remember Matt. He pulled up the app to see if he was still on the call – he was, and now Dan was also in the picture, draped over his back and yawning sleepily. Matt had a hand around her head and his fingers massaged her scalp through short hair.

Adjusting the volume, Neil fell back into place on the couch. “Well.....any insight oh personable one?”

Matt and Dan exchanged positively gleeful looks and it was Dan that spoke. “You mean insight into the adorable  _ flirting _ you’re doing with your incredibly _ cute _ neighbor?”

“I’m....I am not ....what ....” he sputtered and Dan cackled. Matt only fixed him with a look of fond disbelief.

“You totally are!” said Dan, once she calmed down. “And I don’t blame you, I mean he’s hot and he’s your type so...”

“I don’t  _ have _ a type,” he said quickly. “And you heard him, he hates me.”

“Oh Neil....my precious son,” cooed Matt, and Neil knew if they were in the same room right now Matt would be ruffling his hair while Neil half-heartedly tried to push him off. 

“In this scenario, ‘ _ I hate you’  _ clearly translates to  _ ‘I want to grow old with you and have your children _ ,’” she explained. 

Neil wrinkled his nose. Those terrifying thoughts aside, he still couldn’t see what about their exchange had his friends looking like Christmas had come five days early. Okay, so sure he’d been having a few confusing... _ thoughts. _ ..about Andrew. But there was no way Andrew was into him. Right? I mean the guy was probably straight anyways.  _ Right _ ?

“Oh....oh my god,” said Matt, leaning towards the camera on his own screen, studying Neil’s face. “You  _ are _ into him. Holy shit, this is amazing. Dan hand me my phone...I’m texting Allison right now.”

“No!” Neil demanded, a little annoyed now. “I don’t ....it’s not going to happen. Besides...trying to hook up with your neighbor is a terrible idea. What if it goes badly and then we still have to live next to each other for six months?”

“But you  _ do _ want to hook up with him?” asked Dan, still grinning.

Neil flopped back onto the couch and sighed. “I take it back ....Matt come over so you can both get this flu and die slow, horrible deaths.”

Eventually Neil said goodbye to his friends, who promised not to text Allison (he’d never hear the end of it if they did). 

At one o’clock he changed his shirt to one that was slightly less wrinkled, a light gray henley, and slid sandals onto his socked feet. He brushed his hair, and his teeth again for some reason, and spritzed himself in body spray once he managed to dig it out of the bottom of a plastic bin under his sink. Then he spent the next twenty minutes pacing, wondering why the fuck he was making such an effort and also why the fuck he felt so on edge just to go over Andrew’s and eat a goddamned sandwich. 

It was quarter to two when he finally worked up the nerve to go next door, repeating a calming mantra in his head ‘ _ It’s just Andrew...it’s not a big deal...’ _

He knocked. No answer. Waited a few minutes...knocked again. He could hear the cats on the other side of the door, meowing loudly. When he raised his hand to knock  again he was greeted by an angry looking Andrew....a shirtless...angry looking Andrew. The blond shooed the cats away with a little more ire than he usually showed towards them and pulled the shirt over his head, opening the door in the same motion. 

“You’re late,” he said. 

“I. ..uh ...” Neil’s eyes were still trained on the now covered skin of Andrew’s abs, where he spied a cluster of five freckles just over the wing of his hipbone.

“My eyes are up here,” Andrew said blandly, though his expression softened a little. 

“Sorry. I was skyping with a friend...” he said, trying to explain away his lateness with a white lie.

Andrew tugged down the hem of his shirt and turned away, moving towards the couch. He left Neil to close the door and kick his sandals off next to the entrance. On the table were several balled up paper towels, a plate full of crumbs, and a lone slice of tomato with a few pieces of cat hair on it. Over the back of the couch was a white long-sleeved tee with a pink stain on it, probably from the tomato. 

“Stuff is in the kitchen,” Andrew said, not looking up from where he was cleaning off the table. “I’m not making it for you.”

On the counter were a few slices of bread and a toaster that hadn’t been there the night before. Their kitchens didn’t have a lot of counter  space so Neil assumed Andrew stored them elsewhere when they weren’t in use. There were also several slices of tomato, pieces of leafy lettuce, and strips of crispy bacon on a plate next to a jar of mayo and a butter knife. Neil toasted the bread and fixed himself a sandwich, moving back to the couch where Andrew had finished cleaning up. Andrew tucked his feet under his body and thumbed through several Netflix options with the remote, settling on another documentary, this one about sharks.

Andrew ignored him while he  ate and Neil did his best to keep his eyes on the television. He sat at the opposite end of the couch, his own feet crossed at his ankles on top of the cushion with the plate in his lap, careful not to make a mess. The cats wandered over and Andrew glared at them from the corner of his eye. When they put their little paws on the edge of the cushion, Neil broke off a couple tiny pieces of bacon and started to lean forward. 

“Don’t feed those fucking gremlins,” he said callously. 

Neil withdrew his hand but gave the felines an appraising look. King meowed. 

“They think they are starving because I’m rationing their wet food and they’re too snobby to eat the dry stuff,” he explained. 

Neil hummed around a mouthful of BLT, giving the cats an apologetic look and nudging them away a little with his knee. When he was down to his last bite, Andrew’s phone buzzed obnoxiously across the surface of the coffee table. He jumped a little, the vibrations to his heels probably startling him. When he dropped his feet, leaning down to look at the device, his neutral expression fell. 

“Aren’t you  gonna answer it?” Neil asked, watching him curiously. 

Andrew sighed and swiped the phone, standing. It was another video chat from Nicky, the third one today. He knew if he didn’t answer the idiot would just keep calling. Conceding defeat, Andrew stepped over the cats, crossing in front of Neil to move towards the kitchen. When he was inside he opened the call and set the phone on the counter.

“Andrew?? Are you there? Fucking  finally...I’ve called you three times...”

Andrew quickly reached over to lower the  volume so it was just barely audible. He moved around the kitchen to clean up the mess and grunted affirmation. 

“What do you want Nicky?” he asked in German, giving him a little more privacy from Neil.

“Don’t be an asshole...I’m just calling to see how you’re doing. I know you’re still stuck at home, it’s all over the news, even here. And why are you speaking German?”

Andrew leaned over, arched a brow to make sure Nicky could see him. “I’m fine.”

He seemed to take the hint at least. “What, are you afraid you’ll get rusty if you don’t practice or something? It  _ would _ be nice if you could talk to Erik a little more when we visit...though he will probably want someone else to practice English with...he’s doing so good.”

“You’re still coming?” he asked. 

“Unless they shut down the airport or something, of course. Besides...I’m pretty sure everyone in our family has done so many drugs and infused our blood with at least 60% alcohol so we’re probably immune anyways...” explained Nicky. 

Andrew snorted. “I hope you said that to Aaron.”

“ Of course I didn’t,” Nicky replied. “If he rants anymore _ facts _ at  me I’m going to have an aneurysm.”

After dumping the dirty plates in the dishwasher, Andrew picked up the phone, pausing before he moved back into the living room. “Anything else? I’m busy.”

Nicky huffed a laugh, “You’re locked in your apartment, what could you possibly have to do? Unless you were watching porn. Were you watching porn?”

He resisted pinching the bridge of his nose and letting the exasperation show, Nicky intentionally said things to irritate him and he wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. 

“I have a guest,” he said flatly.

“I thought you hated all your  neighbors? Unless one of the hazmat guys was really hot...are you blowing one of the hazmat guys?”

“Don’t think I won’t murder you the second you get off the plane, Nicky.”

“Alright...alright...fine. But you can’t just say something like that and not tell me who. I thought you never let anyone in your apartment...” said Nicky. 

Andrew hesitated again, tapping his hand on the wall and then switched to the rear facing camera. He walked back into the living room, pausing to lean against the wall, hoping it looked natural. He only let Nicky look for a second before switching the camera back. Before he could speak Andrew grunted out a ‘ _ traitors’ _ at the scene displayed before him. 

Neil was still on the couch, his plate discarded on the table. But King was curled up in his lap while he scratched her ears and Sir was laying on the cushion next to him. Neil looked up, an innocent but smug expression on his disgustingly attractive face and Andrew narrowed his eyes. 

“Is that your snack of a neighbor?” Nicky whispered in German. “I thought you hated him...I thought he hated you...and don’t your cats hate everyone? Is this a twilight zone episode? What the fuck, Andrew?”

“I have to go. Let me know what happens with your flight.”

He hung up before his cousin got a chance to say something more incriminating, even in another language. 

Neil was watching him intently, still stroking King, and blue eyes followed him all the way to the couch. A few minutes later, while the narrator on the screen described the breeding habits of the great white, Neil shifted a little and Andrew turned his head. 

“What does ‘ ein snack’ mean?”

Andrew tensed, pupils  dilating for a second. 

“I got the  rest, but I’ve never heard that expression before,” said Neil, and then at the incredulous look on Andrew’s face, continued his explanation. “Sorry...I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I spent a couple years in Germany when I was a kid.”

“It’s not a German expression, that  part was in English. It's just stupid millennial  speak ,” said Andrew, trying to think about how to respond. He turned back to the television, leaving Neil to watch him with blatant confusion. 

His brows knitted together like he was working on a particularly hard math problem. “But what does it mean?”

“It means my cousin thinks you’re a hot piece of ass...” Andrew sighed, tilting his head to the side so he could gauge Neil’s reaction. 

And he didn’t disappoint. Neil’s cheeks and the tips of his ears flushed pink and he squirmed a little in his seat, mouth dropping open to form a little ‘oh’, though so sound came out. Andrew wanted to kiss the stupid expression right off his stupid face. Instead he did his best to look bored and turned his attention back to the tv. 

At some point, they both must have dozed off – Andrew leaning against the back of the couch with his head tipped back against the cushions, Neil half laying on the armrest with his feet planted on the middle cushion. Andrew blinked hazily and swiped at his mouth to check for drool (there was none), and gently pushed himself up. Neil moved a little in his sleep but otherwise didn’t stir. His lips were slightly parted, soft hair a little auburn halo around his head against the upholstery, and is feet were both turned inward slightly. He had one scarred hand laying on his chest, fingers twitching in his slumber, while his other arm was shoved up under his head. He looked relaxed, more so than Andrew had ever seen him. It was hard to imagine that this was the same mouthy guy who had once pounded on his door screaming ‘I will fucking end you Minyard!’ after coming home to find Andrew had left a package on his doorstep with a snake in it. What? It wasn’t poisonous. Probably. 

Andrew went to relieve himself and brew another pot of coffee. When he returned Neil’s eyes were open, bright but unfocused. He dropped his arm off the couch only for his fingers to graze fur and recoiled momentarily in surprise. Then he turned onto his side and looked down. Sir was laying on his back, in all his fluffy glory, peering up at Neil with pumpkin orange eyes, the tip of his squirrel like tail flicking. Neil reached down, palm open. 

“It’s a trap,” said Andrew, pausing to watch the impending chaos. 

Neil, who must not have understood his meaning, reached down and planted his hand on Sir’s belly, fingers curling lightly around fur. He gave one tentative petting motion before the bear trap clamped down. Sir dug his claws into Neil’s wrist and made two neat little puncture marks, chomping down on the back of his hand. Neil recoiled with a loud swear, partially taking Sir with him, but then the cat darted off towards the bedroom, tail swishing wildly. Andrew’s mouth twitched. 

“I did warn you.”

Neil glared towards the bedroom, “I thought we were friends you asshole!”

“Come on dumbass, I have a first aid kit in the kitchen,” said Andrew, taking a few steps. 

Neil assessed the damage, stretching out his fingers. It wasn’t so bad. “I’m fine.”

“You are bleeding through your shirt but you’re not going to bleed on my couch....” he said with a finality that finally got Neil on his feet. 

“You had better properly chastise your demon spawn for mortally wounding me...” said Neil, cradling his hand while yawning. 

Andrew pulled a small first aid kit from under the sink. “Or the idiotic human who doesn’t know how to listen or read body language.”

Trying to bury his self-consciousness, Neil rolled up his sleeve to expose his war-torn forearm. Andrew’s eyes lingered for just a breath, but he didn’t say anything, just dug out a bottle of alcohol, some gauze, and a small packet of anti-bacterial lotion from the kit. 

“I’ve never been around cats,” Neil explained. “How was I supposed to know what one looks like right before complete and utter betrayal?”

Andrew took his arm between calloused fingers, completely unphased by the scars, and turned the limb over in his hand. When he gave it a sharp yank, Neil yelped a little, but let Andrew position his wrist under the faucet, hissing a little at the cold water. Next came the alcohol but Neil didn’t flinch at the pain, just watched Andrew handle him with a clinical dexterity that had Neil wondering if he’d done this before. Andrew dried his arm with a clean paper-towel and dabbed at the wounds with gauze until the bleeding mostly stopped. 

“I can do that...” Neil said, reaching for the packet with his other hand. 

Andrew smacked it away and tore the bacitracin open with his teeth and put a small amount around Neil’s scratches, rubbing it in. Neils scrutiny bounced between the gentle fingers cleaning his already scarred hands and the intensity of Andrew’s expression as he focused on what he was doing. When he got to the puncture marks, he topped it with a  bandaid since it was a little deeper than the other wounds and more reluctant to stop bleeding. When he was  done, he didn’t let go of Neil’s hand immediately, running the pad of his thumb over the burn scars on the back of Neil’s knuckles and then over the  bandaid . 

“It’s okay,” Neil said, voice a little quieter than he meant for it to be. “One more scar isn’t going to matter.”

Andrew dropped his hand, intending to drop the conversation entirely. But before he could stop himself the words were out, “What made them?”

His eyes flicked down where Neil was pulling down his sleeve. He knew Neil...Nathaniel...had been tortured. The details were never released but the media had been  fairly sure that his father had inflicted a lot of damage on him, so he didn’t ask how he got them. Before Neil could answer Andrew back-pedaled. 

“You don’t have to tell me.”

“No....it’s okay,” said Neil, even though he didn’t really sound okay. He pointed to the back of his currently un-bandaged hand to indicate the marks there. “Dashboard lighter....knife...”

Andrew hummed understanding and when he looked back up Neil was watching him, almost a challenge in his eyes. And as if he was trying to prod Andrew into making a disparaging remark he said “I know they’re kind of gross looking....I usually cover them up.”

“They’re not,” Andrew said automatically. 

Behind them the coffee machine spit out the last bit of brew and it was enough of a distraction for Andrew to pull himself away. He poured two cups, adding sugar to his own. When he turned to hand one to Neil the taller man was still watching him. Neil took the cup and Andrew reached out and pushed two fingers against the scar on Neil’s cheek, turning his face away. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said. 

Neil’s head cocked to the side and he opened his mouth in question, but Andrew brushed past him for the living room. 

They settled back onto the couch. Fifteen minutes later Andrew couldn’t take it anymore, he turned to Neil, who was still shooting him furtive peeks when he didn’t think Andrew was looking. 

“What?” he asked, tone full of accusation. 

Neil chewed on his lip, threading together his fingers together since he discarded the mug minutes before. “No one’s ever looked at them like that before. They always flinch, the first time at least.”

“I’m not everyone,” he said, still glowering at his neighbor. 

“I’m starting to get that,” said Neil smoothly.

When Andrew reached forward to put his cup on the table, his movements were agonizingly slow. He needed to buy time because he could feel himself about to make a very stupid decision. And Andrew didn’t make stupid decisions. Everything he did was calculated and cunning and logical. So, when he leaned back and started rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, he couldn’t figure out where the disconnect was between his brain and his body, which were definitely not on the same plane of existence anymore. 

Neil turned in his seat, one leg sliding up on the cushion at an angle so he could lean over it towards Andrew. Andrew, who was now holding his exposed, upturned forearms over his lap, eyes cast downwards. The sun had already begun to  sink and Andrew hadn’t bothered turning on any of the lamps yet. Had it been any darker, Neil might have missed it. He did miss it earlier, when Andrew had been shirtless. Too distracted by his toned physique to notice any anything. But in the dim of the living room, he could see each mark, thin lines of scars, some overlapping. Like a ghostly barcode of some past nightmare. Unintentionally, Neil reached out, but he stopped himself and dropped his hands in his lap before Andrew noticed the movement. 

“Those are not from the cats....” he said quietly,  adams apple bobbing heavily as he swallowed. 

Andrew finally locked on his eyes, hazel challenging blue. “No, they’re not.”

They were from a place of pain, of enduring, of control. A nightmare, but one he had overcome years ago. Andrew didn’t explain further so Neil nodded and turned back to the tv. 

“ Hey can we watch that thing about H.H. Holmes? I saw it in your queue....” Neil didn’t wait for an answer, instead snatching the remote from the table. “Also, I think you should let me use your treadmill later. I haven’t run in days and my legs might __ _ actually  _ fall off if I don’t get any exercise soon. I can even bribe you, if you  want? Say...for every minute you let me run is one less sticky note I put on your car?”

Neil flashed him a brilliant grin and Andrew stared back in shock. He knew what Neil was doing. He wasn’t making light of what he’d  seen, but returning the favor. Just as Neil’s scars hadn’t driven Andrew to pity, Andrew’s scars didn’t make Andrew any  _ less _ than what he was to Neil. They had perhaps taken different paths, suffered different experiences, but neither had been defeated by their pasts. 

“If you even get near my car  again, I will rent one just to run you over with it so I don’t have to chip the paint on mine...” said Andrew. 

“Yea yea, promises. So? Can I? Maybe after dinner....”

“Fine,” he said, trying his best to look incensed while ignoring the warmth settling in his chest. “But you break it you buy me a new one.”

Damnit. 

He really hated Neil. 

Andrew didn’t roll down his sleeves the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine Matt shoving Dan awake like 'Babe...babe! Neil is about to attempt normal human interaction, you gotta see this...'


	4. Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, spent way too long trying to find BREAD earlier today and then my internet was out and I was trying to submit a paper for school. T__T
> 
> Lil bit of fluff, lil bit of angst, lil bit of drama in this one. 
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T (referenced/non-explicit masturbation, non-descriptive panic attack)

**Saturday, December 21st**

One nice thing about this apartment over the others he had lived in, was that he never seemed to run out of hot water. Which was how Andrew found himself standing under the spray for a solid half hour, fingers wrinkled and skin red, trying to  _ will _ his erection way. Normally he would just take care of it. Masturbating was something familiar, something he did whenever the need arose. Sometimes he would go to a bar or a club, pick up some random guy whose name he didn’t bother asking and use them -  as long as they were willing. But despite his impeccable gaydar and intuition on who might be able to follow his  _ rules _ , he didn’t  _ actually  _ like hook-up culture. It was tedious and frustrating and dealing with these needs himself was usually easier. Except now it was _ ruined _ because every time he tried to close his eyes and imagine one of the many nameless  men he’d pressed into dingy nightclub walls, he saw  _ Neil _ . Neil’s lips. Neils scarred hands. Neil’s stupid long eyelashes fluttering over stupidly beautiful eyes. Neil running on his treadmill the night before, calves flexing and sweat pooling on the collar of his t-shirt, beading on the back of his neck. That ugly... _ ugly _ bandana he’d worn to keep his hair out of his face. Andrew had tried not to watch him from his place laying on the workout bench, his own muscles straining as he pressed 30lb barbells. It wasn’t  _ his _ fault Neils muscular ass was nearly at eye level, bouncing with each practiced stride, the basketball shorts he wore shifting around his thighs. Thank god he’d worn compression shorts underneath. Andrew might have had a heart attack if he’d had to watch those shorts slip between Neil’s cheeks. 

Goddamnit . 

He gave in, twisted his wrist, pulled himself off in short, quick, motions until he released into his palm with a broken sigh. 

He hated Neil Josten. And he  _ wanted _ him.

The water finally started to turn cold so Andrew stayed a few moments later – he needed to chill the fuck out anyways. 

Aaron called him while he towel-dried his hair. Apparently, Nicky had been texting him non-stop since Andrew wasn’t returning his calls. His meddlesome cousin had also told Aaron about his house guest. 

“You’re hanging out with Josten now? I fuckin’ hate that guy,” said Aaron, and Andrew could easily imagine the scowl on his  brothers face, since he’d seen the same expression on his own. 

“I am aware.”

During the height of their prank war, Aaron had come over to visit once and Neil had blown an airhorn in his ear while he was waiting for Andrew to open the door – thinking it was Andrew. Aaron had never forgiven him. Andrew thought it was hilarious to watch his brother jump out of his skin, since he hadn’t been on the receiving end, but he would die before he told Neil that. 

“I’ve just been feeding him. We live too close together for me not to smell the stench of his rotting corpse if he dies of starvation,” explained Andrew, unconvincingly. 

“Uh huh...sure,” said Aaron, unconvinced. 

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I have to go. Let me know about Nicky’s flight.”

“Or you could check your goddamn messages.”

“Too much effort.”

“Whatever. I’ll let you go back to banging your neighbor now.”

Andrew didn’t dignify that with a response, ending the call. Then, as if by some sort of fucked up, universal act of providence, the object of his ire knocked on the door. Andrew opened it to find Neil, with a cautious smile on his face and board game in his arms. He was wearing a pair of black joggers and a blue t-shirt that made his eyes seem even brighter. He thrust the game forward, scarred arms on display – they marred his tanned skin up to his elbows. Andrew arched a brow in question. 

“Monopoly,” said Neil, as if that was all the explanation needed. 

Andrew let him  in and Neil immediately made himself at home, a habit which Andrew found equally annoying and endearing. 

“Why?” asked Andrew. 

“Why monopoly? Because it’s time I get to kick your ass for a change. I’m way better with money than I am at strategy.”

Vividly recalling all of Neil’s shabby, mismatched furniture, he doubted that was true. 

“Fine,” said Andrew, letting a put-upon sigh escape as he made himself comfortable on the floor across from Neil. 

It took no time for him to set up the board and as soon as the money was  separated he handed Andrew a stack and pushed the pieces towards him. Andrew snatched up the cat. Neil took the dog. Fitting. Neil was sort of like an  overly-eager , stupid puppy. Though Andrew suspected he hadn’t always been that way. Neil’s outgoing personality seemed fragile and hard-won; and he often seemed unsure of himself. The sign of someone who didn’t pick up those qualities until later in life. Someone who had worked for them. 

They played for nearly two hours, though Andrew knew he was fighting a losing battle within the first twenty minutes. Neil wasn’t lying. He owned three quarters of the board and Andrew was down to his last  twenty-six dollars. 

“Alright I’m calling it. Something you’re finally not terrible at,” said Andrew, conceding defeat and tossing down his latest ‘go directly to jail’ card. 

Neil’s face lit up like a fucking  Christmas tree. Andrew almost shielded his eyes. 

“Really? I won?”

“Why are you so surprised? I thought you said you beat people at this all the time.”

Neil shrugged, grinning as he started to count his money. “We’ve never actually finished a game. Usually Allison or Kevin end up flipping the board and Matt and Dan always make up some excuse not to finish.”

Andrew helped him pack up the pieces. “Sounds like your friends are sore losers.”

Neil chuckled, sliding the board back in the box. 

The rest of the afternoon passed leisurely. They talked between slow parts and commercials of the Harry Potter marathon on tv, snacked on the couch – Andrew with a pint of double chocolate fudge ice cream and Neil on yogurt with mango pieces Andrew let him forage from the back of the fridge. At lunchtime they ate turkey sandwiches, followed by arguing over whether or not Snape should be classified as a villain during the Half-Blood Prince – Andrew thought he should because he treated the kids like shit, Neil thought he had redeeming qualities and found his love for Lily appealing. But Andrew was quickly realizing that Neil was a sentimental idiot, so of course he did. 

After dinner, Andrew let Neil use the treadmill again and safely tucked himself away on his computer to not repeat the _ very real  _ emotions such a display had caused the day before. Afterwards, Neil left without a word and Andrew assumed he had gone for the night. But at ten o’clock he turned up again, knocking a few times and then opening the door without waiting. Andrew poked his head around the corner to watch Neil kick off his sandals. He was wearing a pair of blue, plaid pajama pants and a hideous orange sweatshirt with white lettering that read ‘Palmetto State Foxes’ curled around a large fox paw. His socks were also two different colors. Andrew blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. 

“My apartment is too quiet.....” he sighed. “Douchebag Chad usually makes at least  _ some _ noise, but I haven’t heard anything from down there in days. He’s probably dead.”

Andrew ducked back into the kitchen and Neil followed. There was a bottle of expensive looking whisky on the counter next to a small, crystal glass. Andrew wordlessly took down another glass and poured a few shots worth in each. Neil wasn’t much of a drinker, but he picked up the glass when offered and took a sip, mirroring Andrew. He coughed. Andrew paused with the rim of the glass on his lip. 

“I uh...don’t really drink...” explained Neil. 

He lowered the glass to chest height. “You don’t have to drink it.”

Neil shrugged and took another sip, this time only with a grimace. 

A movie was already queued up and Andrew hit play once they were settled. Neil shot him a questioning look at the choice. 

“I needed something calming before bed....” explained Andrew.

“ ....You usually watch documentaries but a bloody action movie is calming?” asked Neil, the corner of his mouth lifting.

“Documentaries are educational. This is mindless fodder...”

He wasn’t wrong. The entire movie was ridiculous. It didn’t take long for Neil to scoff at the stunt inaccuracies  _ ‘you can’t jump from that height without breaking your leg, it’s just not possible...’ _ and Andrew critiqued some of the knife fighting scenes  _ ‘if that was a real  _ _ knife _ _ she’d slice her fingers off from holding it like that...’ _

By eleven their banter had petered off and with their drinks finished, both were slouched on opposite ends of the couch. Neil had somehow tangled himself in a fluffy, gray blanket and was curled up on one end. Andrew was sitting leaned forward, intently watching the movie though his mind was elsewhere. By midnight Neil had nodded off and was breathing evenly, completely still. Andrew turned off the television and left him there, going to his own room. He briefly wished the door had a lock on it, but he knew Neil wouldn’t hurt him. Which was strange considering he knew about Neils shady past. But that was clearly not the Neil that was slumbering peacefully on the couch. This Neil was harmless, earnest, and surprisingly honest. He’d been giving Andrew pieces of himself all week, from the moment he’d turned up on Andrew’s doorstep looking like a lost, starved puppy. And somehow it made Andrew reciprocate. He’d always been fond of quid pro quo but engaging with someone he barely knew was not something he did. Sure, Neil had moved in eight months ago, but other than a few traded insults they hadn’t spoken to each other until recently. A week was entirely too short of a time period for him to be this interested in another person. Maybe his digging up of Neil’s past made him feel like he had an advantage over the  guy so it was easier to explain his intrigue and grudging acceptance of the pseudo-friendship they had settled into. Yea, that’s all it was.  _ He’s probably not even interested _ , said the reasonable voice in his head. He’d caught the guy watching him a few times but Neil, despite how easy he was to read, was still an enigma. Like an open book that at some point had been water damaged and now some of the pages stuck together or the ink bled in places until it was indecipherable. 

The only thing he was sure of was that this quarantine needed to end soon. Then Neil could go back home – have his own friends to keep him occupied and they could just go back to being unfamiliar neighbors. Because if they didn’t, Andrew wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to shove it all down and pretend that Neil Josten wasn’t, in fact, a problem.

** Sunday, December 22 ** ** nd **

Andrew didn’t sleep that night. Instead he tossed and turned, finally being dragged unconscious just before the sun came up only to be woken at seven by his bladder.

When he crossed into the living room, Neil was exactly where Andrew had left him. King was curled up at his feet and Sir was licking himself in front of the couch. He’d wondered where the furry assholes had gotten to since they usually spent their time jumping on and off his bed at random hours throughout the night. 

Instead of waking Neil, the blond shambled quietly into the kitchen to make coffee. He went about the activity in silence, one of the abilities he prided himself on. It always irritated his twin and cousin when they were in college – Andrew sneaking up on them with cat-like precision. He thought when the coffee maker starting bubbling that might have woken the slumbering man, but when Andrew reemerged in the living room, leaning against the wall, Neil was still out. It wasn’t until a couple seconds later, a car back-firing loudly outside, that Neil woke with a start. 

The blanket fell to the floor as Neil scrambled back against the couch, nearly burrowing between the cushions, fingers scrabbling for purchase in the soft leather. Andrew took a few quick steps towards the couch and could see the fear in Neil’s eyes, glazed over and not entirely present. As Andrew approached, Neil scooted towards the other end. Andrew recognized the vacant expression, it’s one he had seen on himself in the mirror after waking from a nightmare. He chanced getting closer again and this time Neil flinched but didn’t move away. 

“It was just a car....” he offered, tone  flat. His ‘reassuring’ voice was out of practice. Had never been  _ i _ n practice. 

“Just a....” Neil repeated, trying to catch his breath and get his bearings. His eyes shifted into focus so he could glare at Andrew. “ _ Just a car _ . You don’t get to say that until you’ve been shot...”

Neil seemed to recognize the foreign ice in his own voice and diverted his eyes downwards, watching his own hands open and close. 

“What do you need?” asked  Andrew, voice softer this time.

Neil’s breathing was still short  and panicked, shuddering on the exhale. “Just....give me a minute.”

He reached up and tugged on his auburn locks, hard enough that Andrew could see the skin pull back on his hairline. 

Andrew stepped closer, holding a hand outward. And when Neil looked up, hands still yanking on his own hair, Andrew asked him, “Yes or No?”

Confused, Neil answered “yes” because at least wondering what Andrew was asking was a distraction from his present state of mind. 

The blond sat on the arm of the couch and clamped a warm hand around the back of Neil’s neck, pushing his head down slightly. Neil allowed the contact and dropped his own hands back to his lap, making fists. He closed his eyes and focused on Andrew’s thumb, rubbing circles on his hairline. It took a few minutes, but his breathing returned to normal. When Neil looked up, Andrew withdrew  contact but didn't move from his perch. 

“...How did you know to do that?” asked Neil, almost whispering. “Is that what....did someone do that for you before?”

Surprisingly, Andrew found himself answering. “It’s what I do to myself. If I have a nightmare or panic attack. My shrink recommended it a long time ago. Or she recommended someone else do  it, but I don’t like being touched.”

A scarred hand reached up and Neil rubbed the spot where Andrew’s hand had been, missing the contact. Andrew finally moved since Neil’s breathing had returned to  normal and disappeared into the kitchen to make breakfast. 

They ate in silence. Afterwards Neil helped Andrew carry the dishes to the sink and muttered something about ‘need a shower...’. Before he left though, he paused at the door. 

“Andrew.....thanks.”

Andrew nodded in return and watched him leave. 

* * *

Before he showered himself, Andrew ran two miles on the treadmill and went through his regular weight routine – which he had been sorely neglecting since this whole ordeal started. Afterwards he idly poked at his abs, checking to make sure he wasn’t getting soft around the middle, which Aaron always teased him he would since he had a three-pint a week ice cream habit. As soon as he finished dressing his phone rang and he put in on speaker phone. 

Nicky’s flight was apparently  _ not _ delayed and he would arrive the next evening on schedule. Andrew told him not to bother stopping by since he was still imprisoned in his apartment. Andrew assured him that they had to release them by the 27 th if they weren’t showing symptoms...which led to Nicky’s over-dramatic hysterics about not being able to be together on Christmas. Which Andrew could have cared less  about. He wanted to see his family but the holiday itself was irrelevant. Finally, he convinced Nicky to hang up and ‘go bother Aaron’.

He spent the next hour writing a scathing report about the injustice of imprisoning people against their will and violating his rights and deleted it. Instead he wrote an article about the lack of competence of government enforced quarantines, leaving people without aid or checking on their well-being. In the back of his mind, it bothered him what Neil would have done if he hadn’t swallowed his pride that day to ask Andrew for help. Supposedly the government was supposed to be checking on those in quarantine, but no one had come for Andrew and Neil since Neil’s escape attempt, not even to see if they were alive or infected.

Neil didn’t turn up that afternoon. Andrew had foisted a handful of frozen dinners in his arms the day before ‘just in case’ so he didn’t need to worry that Neil was starving next door. And it was nice, having time to himself where he didn’t have to entertain his dumbass neighbor. 

But that was the thing ....he never felt like he  _ had _ to entertain Neil. The man was perfectly content just to be in Andrew’s presence and it irked Andrew how easily he found himself tolerating ....almost enjoying Neils company in return. For all his faults, Neil could read the room. He could tell when Andrew didn’t want to talk or when he was more willing to engage. He knew when to be demanding and cocky and when to just sit in silence and watch the tv. Neil was a puzzle that Andrew was slowly learning how to solve and in turn Neil was doing the same to him. 

For dinner that night he made a frozen pizza. There were two slices left and just as he had worked up the courage to use that as an excuse to ask Neil over, there was a knock at the door. Neil was standing there with a bottle of something labeled ‘sweet elderberry wine’ and a shy smile. Andrew let him in without question and went to the kitchen to dig out a bottle opener. 

“I thought you didn’t drink,” Andrew commented, forcing the metal screw into the cork. 

“I don’t,” offered Neil. “Allison gave this to me as a gift. She said I would like it since it tastes like fruit. I haven’t had it  before but I’ve been drinking nothing but water and tea for the last week and this will probably be better than that rat poison you gave me last night....”

Andrew pulled out the cork with a ‘pop’ and brandished the screw, cork still stuck on the end, at Neil with a glare. “That bottle of Johnnie Walker cost me $300 and if you shit on my whisky again I’ll give you a piercing with this thing in a place you are not going to like...”

Neil laughed and held his hands up, taking a single step back. “Fine...fine...I take it back. It was good. Very  _ refined _ rat poison.”

They made their way to the living room, wine glasses in hand. The glasses themselves had been a gift from Aaron’s wife, Katelyn. Andrew still didn’t like her but the longer they were together the harder it became to deny that she was good for his brother. 

The pair curled up on the couch, with a respectable amount of distance between them, and Andrew set down the wine after a few gulps. He picked up his controller and  unpaused his game. Neil watched with blanket interest and sipped his own wine. He seemed to be enjoying it, not making any stupid faces. Andrew supposed it did taste like  kool-aid and he often saw Josten with sports drinks and juice when he carried his groceries in. 

Another skeleton popped up out of the ground and the character Andrew was controlling swiped through it with a massive axe. They continued that way for an hour, Andrew playing his game and Neil steadily drinking and leaning closer to the end of the couch. Soon he was tense and shouting orders at Andrew ‘over there!’ ‘oh my god that thing is huge, kill it!’ ‘it’s going to kill you!’ ‘what the fuck  _ is  _ that?!’ ‘ ohh go that  way, that looks cool!’ Some of Neils suggestions he heeded, others he rolled his eyes at and kept going. He was on his second glass of wine, Neil on his third, when Neil asked if he could try. 

He was awful and Andrew was glad he’d saved the game before handing over the controller. But it was fun to watch. Neil shrieked like a girl every time something popped up out of nowhere and sometimes hit the pause button, handing the controller back to Andrew with a demand of ‘kill it!’, so Andrew slaughtered the on-screen monster and handed it back. After he died for the sixth time in half an hour, he turned to Andrew with a sheepish grin, tongue red from the wine, and admitted “I’ve always been really bad at video games...”

Andrew saved the game and got up to change the disk. Neil poured them both more wine. When he returned to the  couch he handed Neil the second controller and a new game showed up on the screen. 

“This  ones easy...just stay on the track...”

It, apparently, was not easy. At least for Neil. He was all over the place. But he was also  _ laughing _ and Andrews insides were turning to warm mush, aided by the alcohol in his system. Andrew swerved and spun out more than a few times because he was too busy watching Neil’s antics over steering Bowser to victory. 

Finally, Yoshi sailed under the victory banners first and Neil threw his controller down on the couch with a shout, ‘Yes! I won!’

He did. Because Andrew let him. Losing eleven times in a row was just sad so he gave the idiot a pass, just this once. Andrew leaned back against the cushion and watched Neil bounce on the couch as the rankings displayed on the screen. His mouth twitched upwards just as Neil turned in his seat. Neil blinked a few times, face affecting confusion before he smiled again. 

“You almost smiled...” he accused. 

“No I didn't,” replied Andrew.  _ He did not.  _

“Liar,” said Neil, leaning forward a little with a grin. 

Andrew held his challenging look but crossed his arms over his chest, not caring about his petulant tone. “I did not.”

Neil leaned his shoulder on the cushion, head tipping to the side to rest on the top of the couch. 

“You can, you know,” he said quietly. “You don’t have to hide it. I’m not going to write the presses to let them know Andrew Minyard isn’t made of stone...”

Andrew smoothed his expression  over but his eyes unconsciously dropped to Neil’s lips, which he was biting between his teeth. He wasn’t grinning anymore. Instead he was watching Andrew with a mix of intrigue and wonder and something else Andrew couldn’t place. 

“You’re an idiot...” Andrew breathed quietly, though there was no animosity behind it. He almost sounded fond. 

A moment of silence hung between them, something too fragile to test. But then Neil  _ did _ test it. He leaned in a little more, so there was only a foot between them. Neil was sitting on his knees and he slid one hand along the back of the couch, twisting his fingers in the fabric just shy of Andrew’s head. 

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, blinking several times.

Andrew blinked back, lifting his head to sit up properly so he could angle his body towards Neil. 

“.....What?” he frowned.

“I....um...I’m sorry. I just,” Neil’s fingers twitched on the couch behind him. “I don’t know why I said that...”

“Okay,” Andrew said, voice void of any sort of emotion as he trained his face to a placid expression and ignored the hammering of his pulse. 

Neil shook his head like a dog trying to shed itself of water. “That was a lie ....kind of. I don’t really know but...I do want to. Can I?”

He looked serious now, resolved, and every fiber of Andrews being told him to shut this down right now. To walk away. Don’t get close, don’t let anyone in. Neil was a virus and he needed to distance himself so he wouldn’t be infected. But as his body shifted closer, he knew it was too late. Neil was under his skin, probably had been for months, and his traitorous mouth said ‘ _ yes _ .’ And  goddamnit . Neil’s lips were so  soft and the first press sent a jolt right down his spine, like he’d been static shocked. The kiss itself was brief and when Andrew pulled away, Neil’s eyes are still closed. 

When Neil’s eyes opened and locked on his own, something broke in Andrew. Or maybe something that had been broken for a long time finally righted itself. He surged forward, grabbing Neil’s cheeks between his palms, fingers burying in soft hair and he kissed him again. And this time it was  _ real _ . Neil gasped into the kiss, surprise flickering on his face for only a moment. And then his eyes closed again, and he leaned into it. And when he felt Andrew’s tongue at his lips, he opened his mouth. Another small sound  escaped and Andrew swallowed it, licking into Neil’s mouth only to taste the wine shared between them. 

The hand on Neil’s lap reached up but stopped in mid-air, remembering Andrew didn’t like being touched. Instead he curled his fingers against the cushion at his knees and leaned forward to put his entire body into the kiss. Andrew let go. Lost himself in Neil’s mouth and the soft sounds he made and the sound of his own breath coming in short pants in the thin space between where they were connected. Several minutes later, or maybe hours, Andrew was having a hard time keeping the rest of his body under  control so he pulled back, pressing one last open mouthed kiss to Neil’s lips, teeth nipping at the bottom. He leaned against the couch, trying to discretely catch his breath and calm himself down. It took Neil a second to open his eyes and when he did, they were hazy and heavy  lidded and his mouth was shining with saliva. He reached up and brought two fingers to his lips, lifting his eyes back to Andrew. 

“That was ..... I....” but he  didn’t seem to have the words. 

Andrew knew what that was like because he didn't have any either. 

He stood abruptly and took the empty glasses to the kitchen, needing to put space between himself and the  red head . He didn’t know what Neil might have said, but he  _ was _ sure he wasn’t ready to hear it. When he came back Neil was still sitting there, hair mussed and looking like something out of a dream; his expression looking like he was  _ in _ a dream, trapped somewhere with reality just out of reach. 

“You should go, it’s late,” said Andrew, so quiet he wasn’t even sure if Neil heard him. 

Neil tensed but looked up, brows wrinkling slightly. His cheeks were still  flushed and Andrew wasn’t sure if it was from the wine or the intensity of their make-out session. 

“Oh...um...okay,” said Neil, standing and taking a couple steps towards Andrew. 

Andrew backed away to give Neil a clear shot to the door. “Lock the door on your way out.”

And then he left, turned to disappear into his own bedroom. 

Neil recognized the dismissal so he did as Andrew asked, but couldn’t help but think he overstepped some sort of invisible boundary. 

He turned the lock on the door and click sounded deafening.  _ ‘ _ _....what _ _ did just I do?’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neil is a monopoly SHARK. Also the movie they were watching was Kick-Ass. And the games they were playing were Bloodborne and obviously Mario Kart. XD
> 
> Also can I highly recommend some Stonebrook Elderberry Wine - it's my fav. 
> 
> LAST CHAPTER TOMORROW.


	5. Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, last chapter! 
> 
> I may consider writing a little sequel to this to include some holiday shenanigans, but it just depends on the time I have in the next couple weeks. Here's to hoping.
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: M (mild smut)

** Monday, December 23 ** ** rd **

The metal of the washer groaned angrily as Neil slammed the door shut with too much force. He’d been alternating all morning between walking around in a listless daze and taking his frustration out on any household chore he could manage. It was only ten o’clock but he’d already washed his dishes, done two loads of laundry, vacuumed, and scrubbed the entire refrigerator. He was in the middle of folding his last bit of laundry when the skype tone on his laptop rang. 

Hustling from his room to the dining table, Neil dropped into the chair and jammed his finger on the wireless mouse. 

“Matt.”

“Neil! Hey man! Sorry I missed...” Matt’s expression dropped when he took in Neil’s slightly wired expression.  “... your call earlier. Uh...you okay man? You look a little ....insane .”

“I fucked up, Matt,” he said quickly gripping both sides of the screen and shaking it a little. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

“Alright...well. First...calm down. Tell me what happened.”

Neil painstakingly explained the last few days, all the things he’d left out in his previous conversations with his best friend. He told him about the wine and his stupid, presumptuous, brain and asking Andrew if he could kiss him. How Andrew had kissed him back and immediately kicked him out. 

If he was truthful, he was more worried about going back to how it had been before, with he and Andrew at each other's throats every time they saw each other. His lease was good for another seven months and he didn’t want to spend  all of that time in a cold war. And he’d liked what the two of them had formed over the last couple weeks. Even with Andrew’s denial of what  _ that _ was, Neil still felt it was something akin to friendship. And now he’d gone and ruined it because of some stupid attraction that he felt the need to test. 

“Well....I’m not  gonna lie. Dan is probably more helpful when it comes to stuff like this but she’s out with my mom right now,” he explained. 

Randy Boyd wasn’t supposed to arrive until after Christmas, but apparently her upcoming fights had been cancelled due to the viral outbreak. 

“...But I don’t think it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be,” continued Matt. “It sounds maybe like he was just caught off guard. Confused, maybe? You weren’t so different. You  _ do _ remember  high-tailing it out of Allison’s dorm as soon as she put her hand down your pants, don’t you?”

Neil fixed him with a glare and leaned back against the wooden chair, crossing his arms. “Fine...say he was confused. Then why did he kiss me back?”

Matt tapped a finger on his chin, screwing up his face. “Attraction is weird, Neil. Sometimes we want things we don’t think we should  want and it can really do a number on our emotions. Have you tried talking to him today?”

“Of course not. He’s as likely to gut me as he is to talk to me.”

“Hmm. Maybe wait a bit then. But Neil....I don’t think Andrew’s reaction is the only reason you’re freaking out,” suggested Matt. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” asked Neil.

“I think you’re confused too. You asked to kiss him but you didn’t think you’d like it ....you did right? Like it, I mean.”

Neil didn’t realize the breath he’d been holding until it came out in a long stream, like a balloon losing helium. He scraped a hand through his hair and scrubbed at it with a grimace. “Yea...I mean. It was different. It wasn’t like that with Allison or Kevin. I don’t know. Maybe it was the wine...”

Matt nodded sagely, “Maybe....or maybe you’re losing your shit because if he hadn’t kicked you out, you’d do it again.”

Blue eyes narrowed at the screen. “I really hate you sometimes.”

“You love me,” Matt chuckled. “Admit it. I was your first true love. Come on...say it...”

“I’m hanging up on you,” said Neil, and despite his grumpiness towards his friend, he did feel a little better. 

“Wait!” said Matt, holding out a hand to stop him from ending the call. “Please get out of there soon. I love my mom, but she’s only been here a day and she’s driving me crazy. She’s talking about staying through the birth. THE BIRTH, NEIL. That’s THREE WEEKS. Our apartment is not big enough to hold me and Dan and a baby and all that extra motherly love.”

“I’m trying to feel bad for you, but at least you get to be around people. The only company I currently have either wants to kiss me or kill me and I have no idea which,” sighed Neil. 

“Well,  godspeed brother. If you do decide to talk to him let me know how it goes. Or put me on video again like last time. If it goes badly I’ll just send mom over to knock his face in,” offered Matt. 

Neil smiled. “Sounds like a plan. Good luck with everything, tell Dan I said hey.”

Matt pressed a sloppy kiss to the screen and waved goodbye just as Neil’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. 

Maybe Matt was right. Maybe Andrew was just confused and the haze of alcohol skewed Neil’s perception of it all. Whatever the case, or rationalization Neil came up with, it wasn’t enough to make him venture next door. Instead he whiled away the afternoon playing solitaire, surfing the net for the latest on the virus and checking the, nearly non-existent, sports news. Kevin called him around three and then Allison at five. Both were calling to tell him about their delayed flights. Kevin had gone on vacation to Ireland with his girlfriend, Thea, and they were stuck there for the time being since the US government had banned all incoming flights from the UK. Allison was in New York and most of the city was under quarantine. When the outbreak started to get bad she moved into one of her families mansions, which she usually avoided, but it had good security and was well stocked and out of the city – as opposed to her penthouse apartment in the heart of the fashion district. She apologized profusely and said she would make it there by new  years even if she had to rent a private jet, citing her need to get away from her blood relatives as soon  as humanly possible. 

Neil took it all in stride, commiserating but telling them he wanted them safe above all else, and that he would be fine if they didn’t make it back for the holidays. They could always get together another time. But truthfully, it was a little disappointing. He wanted to be with his family.  _ Needed _ to be with them. Especially now after being shut away on his own for so long. Well, not entirely on his own. 

Another sigh escaped and Neil closed the lid on his laptop, fingers drumming idly on the tabletop. Ultimately, he opened the computer again, pulled up his own Netflix account and turned on one of the documentaries he’d been watching with Andrew. Just a few more  days right?  As long as no one showed symptoms they were supposed to be released after fourteen days. He could make it. No sweat. 

* * *

Neil had just finished brushing his teeth when there was a soft knock at the door. He checked the time on his phone sitting next to the sink. It was after eleven. They wouldn’t lift the quarantine this late at night, so it had to be Andrew. 

He thought about pretending to be asleep. It was late  enough and the knock was quiet enough that he could pretend he hadn’t heard it. Just as he finished rinsing his mouth a second, louder, series of knocks came. He paused at the door, running a hand through his barely tamed tresses and steeled himself for  impact . 

Andrew was inside and halfway across the living room the second Neil opened the door. After closing it, Neil moved to the wall that divided the main space from the kitchen and leaned a little against the drywall. Andrew was pacing back and forth, hands balled into fists at his sides. He wasn’t even looking at Neil but Neil went tense just watching him and straightened against the wall.

After several minutes of watching him pace, Neil finally opened his mouth to speak. Andrew cut him off with a  hand held up, pausing for just a moment before he continued to wear a hole in the beige carpet. He looked a little worse for wear – bags under his eyes, hair sticking up a little, a permanent little scowl on his lips. Neil took note that he was also dressed for bed – wearing a tank top and loose  sweat pants that were sliding a little on his hips, pooling at his feet so only his socked toes were visible. If his shirt hadn’t been so long Neil was sure he would see the waistband of his underwear. 

At eleven-thirty, Neil’s watch beeped once from the coffee table and Andrew froze. The sound seemed to have startled him out of his...whatever it was he was doing, and he turned to face Neil, finally meeting his eyes. He crossed the room slowly and Neil backed up so that he was completely pressed against the surface behind him from heel to shoulder. He knew he should feel trapped but didn't try to escape. Instead he held Andrew’s gaze until the shorter man was just inches from him. He could feel the body heat radiating off him and wondered if his bare arms would be warm, if he reached out to touch them. 

Andrew sent a thoughtful look to Neil’s hands at his sides and Neil somehow understood. He tucked them behind his back, grabbing each of his own wrists. The gesture made him push his hips forward a little and Andrew took the opportunity to grab them, fingers digging into bone. Neil could feel the heat of them through the fabric of his own sweats and did his best to keep still. 

“Yes or no, Neil?” asked Andrew. 

With an unconscious lick of his lips, Neil’s entire thought process went out the window. 

“Yes.”

Andrew kissed him, and there was no hesitation, no question. There was no gentleness. Only urgency and unbridled want. Neil wanted nothing more than to bury himself in Andrew. In the warmth of his body and the smooth slide of his tongue against his own. He leaned forward and Andrew slid one hand between them to rest on Neil’s chest, holding him in place and keeping them a couple inches apart. The kiss grew heated and Neil just barely managed to keep himself still, letting Andrew take control. But when Andrew’s mouth pulled away from his, planting kisses and dragging his tongue along Neil’s jaw, he couldn’t repress the groan that had been blooming. The noise seemed to encourage Andrew and he sucked a bruise into Neil’s skin just below his ear and the sharpness, the slight pain mixed with pleasure, sends a jolt straight to his dick. Neil angled his hips back to the wall so Andrew wouldn't feel the hardness between them and dipped down to lick a short line along Andrew’s neck, punctuating it with a kiss. Andrew shuddered under him and made a noise akin to a growl, recapturing his lips. Neil smiled into the next kiss and Andrew did his best to kiss the expression right off his mouth. 

The hand on his chest sank back down to rejoin the other, massaging his hips and then sliding back up to his waist. He stayed above his shirt, for which Neil was silently grateful. Then Andrew’s hands inched backwards, tracing the path to his hands. They tugged at Neil’s wrists and Neil allowed them to be pulled apart. In what seemed like slow motion, Andrew withdrew and guided his hands upwards, until they hovered just above Andrew’s shoulders. Andrew pressed several light kisses along his lower lip and jaw before whispering, “just here,” below Neil’s ear. 

Tentative at first, and then with purpose, Neil ghosted his fingers along the smooth, pale skin of Andrew’s neck, until his digits flattened over the short, light blond hairs at the base of his head. Andrew’s mouth moved back to its target and Neil’s hands skated upwards to bury in the longer hairs towards the top of his head. Andrew grunted a little and Neil drank in the sound, opened his mouth wider, nipped at Andrew’s lips and sucked in his tongue. Andrew was good at this ....like ,  _ really good _ at this. And for a moment Neil forgot about the erection straining in his pants and let Andrew’s hands, now pressed into his ribs, pull him closer. He gasped at the contact and Andrew did the same. Andrew seemed to be worked up as well and pressed himself into Neil’s hip. 

With his forearms resting on Andrew’s shoulders and fingers buried in his hair, Neil was pretty sure he could do this all night. Forever, probably. And when Andrew’s palms glided lower, over his back, hips, and his ass, he didn’t object. Nor did he object when Andrew’s hands dipped below his ass to grab the crease there between his thighs. Needing a second to breath, Neil pulled back and dropped his head back to the wall, letting Andrew mouth at the tanned column of his throat, teeth  dragging along his  adams apple. 

“Andrew....” 

The word was unintentional, a breathy whisper that he didn’t want, or care to take back. All he wanted was for Andrew to keep touching him. The sound earned him another bruise, just above his collar bone where the loose shirt he was wearing shifted off his shoulder. 

And then Andrew pulled back, tugging harder at Neil’s ass with a question in his eyes. Neil noted the wide pupils, the flush on his cheeks. He nodded in response and just managed not to yelp in surprise when Andrew easily hoisted him off the ground. His legs slid around Andrew’s waist reflexively and locked behind him. Andrew was still watching him for any objection, so he nodded again and clung to Andrew’s head, pulling it downwards. 

Andrew turned them away from the wall, walking towards the bedroom with his nose pressed to Neil’s neck. He kicked the door closed behind them and Neil fully expected to be  unceremoniously dropped onto the bed. Instead Andrew waited until his knees hit the mattress, carefully lowering them onto the plush surface. Neil dislodged his legs and let them fall open so Andrew could settle between them. 

The last time Neil found himself in this situation, every instinct he had told him to run. Even though it had been with one of his best friends, he was nothing but uncomfortable and anxious. And now here he was, letting Andrew pull at the collar of his shirt to bite and kiss along skin he’d rarely even let anyone see. When Andrew’s hand found the hem of his shirt he did find pause, covering the hand with his own. 

“Just....not my shirt,” said Neil, a little breathless. 

Andrew nodded against him and his hand slid over top the thin cotton. A few minutes later Neil bucked his hips up, against testing the boundary between them. This time Andrew didn’t stop him, didn’t withdraw. Instead he ground down against Neil, pressing his hardness against Neil’s and tugging at Neil’s lip so hard it might have drawn blood. Neil groaned, loudly. A second later Andrew had backed off again and his hand replaced his hips, groping downwards until  it cupped Neil through his sweats. He pushed up into the touch and Andrew pressed harder. Then his fingers were under the fabric and he snapped the waistband against Neil’s over-sensitive skin, causing him to make an embarrassing high-pitched noise. Andrew kissed him once more and then lifted his head to look at him, watching his features for any sign of hesitation. Neil squirmed under him and let Andrew push down his sweats and boxer briefs, just enough to expose his swollen cock to the cool air. He stroked once and Neil’s eyes closed, lip between his teeth, trying to ignore the heavy weight of Andrew watching him. 

“Andrew...” he said between pants. “I’ve never.... I've never done this before...”

Andrew’s hand stilled for just a second, but then continued its ministrations. 

“Look at me...” said Andrew, his voice low but quiet. 

So, Neil did. He cracked open blue eyes to lock on hazel and nearly melted from the intensity of it. 

“You mean with a guy?” asked Andrew. 

It wasn’t an accusation or mocking, just a question. 

Neil tried to shake his head but the groan he let out when Andrew twisted his palm over the head disrupted the gesture. “With...with anyone.”

Andrew nodded and kissed him slowly, gentler this time. 

“We don’t have to do anything,” said Andrew, murmuring against his lips. 

Neil returned the kiss. “I want to...just....”

“I’ll stop when you tell me to,” said Andrew.

Neil smiled and nodded quickly, dropping his head back to press into the pillow. “Okay...”

Andrew’s fist around him resumed its motions, firmer now and Neil tried to keep his hips under control. And then something wet brushed along the tip and Neil’s eyes flew open, his chin tilting downwards. Just in time to see Andrew’s lips sink around him, hazel eyes looking up at him through long lashes. Neil groaned out an obscenity and dropped his head back down, keeping his fingers tangled in blond hair to encourage him to keep going. He didn’t last long and soon Andrew was ignoring Neil’s warning and Neil’s mind exploded into static. 

It took minutes for Neil to come back to his own plane of existence. And he only did because Andrew was saying his name, calling him back to the present. 

“ _ Neil... _ ” said Andrew, for the third time, tugging at Neil’s hands in his hair. 

Neil reluctantly let go, letting his arms fall back onto the bed. Andrew kissed him on his jaw and was staring at him with mild concern. The ‘are you okay’ clearly written on his features. 

“That....that was...” he sighed happily and finally opened his eyes wide enough that he didn’t look dazed anymore. 

Neil flicked his eyes down to  Andrew’s crotch where he was laying propped up on his side and then back to his eyes. “Do you want...I mean...”

Andrew kissed him on the side of the mouth with a demand of “Wait here,” before disappearing into the bathroom just outside the door. 

Neil lay there, taking inventory of his surroundings and his own body, which still shuddered every few minutes with the aftershock of his orgasm. His softening dick was still exposed, sweats pulled down to his thighs. But his arms felt cramped and didn’t want to aid in the effort to pull them up. 

About seven minutes later (not that Neil was counting) Andrew returned, his erection gone and something in his hand. He tossed the wet wipe, Neil kept a package of them on the back of the toilet, down to the bed and Neil managed to move his arms then to clean himself up (even though Andrew had already taken care of the mess with his own mouth). Andrew held up the empty trash bin beside the bed for Neil to toss in the wipe and watched as Neil shimmied his garments up his hips. Neil started to sit  up but Andrew got a hand in his hair and gently eased him back down. 

“You should sleep,” he said. “You look like a fucking zombie.”

Neil scowled, but pressed his head into Andrew’s hand. “Look who’s talking...”

Finally, he started to withdraw, and Neil caught his wrist with a light touch. 

“Wait,” he said. “Will you stay? Just for tonight? I’m so sick of the quiet...”

Andrew looked down at him, clearly battling with his answer. Eventually he twisted his wrist to get a grip on Neil’s hand and squeezed once. 

“Fine. But don’t touch me in my sleep unless you want a broken rib...” he said with a frown.

Neil tried his best to suppress a grin, scooting over to the far side of the bed. Andrew climbed in and they both turned on their sides to face each other. Andrew’s arm shot out behind him to grope for the lamp on the nightstand and finally found the switch after three tries, casting them in darkness. A small amount of moonlight filtered in through the single bedroom window, but it must have been cloudy out because Neil could barely make out Andrew’s shape in the dark. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see the outline across from him and moved closer. Andrew did the same, and then Neil felt a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him in. The kiss tasted like Neil’s mouthwash and was lazy and soft. When they pulled away each man shifted back to their side of the bed, but their fingers rested just centimeters apart on the mattress between them. 

Neil sighed contently and Andrew rolled his eyes in the dark. “Go to sleep, idiot....”

Maybe he would sleep tonight  after all .

* * *

** Tuesday, December 24th **

Neil had been having a rather pleasant dream. And for once he didn’t mind being pulled out of it, since it meant waking to a warm hand draped lightly over the side of his neck. He’d done as Andrew said and not touched him in their sleep, however they’d both woken in the early morning hours and shifted closer together. Neil’s hand was still curled in the sheets just shy of Andrew’s shirt, but Andrew’s hand had found its way to his skin at some point. There was another banging sound and Neil suddenly realized what had woken him. 

Beside him, Andrew had cracked his eyes open in a narrowed glare, cutting them towards the door at the sound. He rolled onto his back and Neil sat up, confused, still too sleep rumpled to pinpoint the source. Then his eyes flared. The door. Someone was knocking. And considering Andrew was in his bed, disheveled and looking like a goddamn wet dream, that had to mean...

He tore from the bed, tossing the sheets over Andrew’s face and ignoring his disgruntled swears. When he ripped the door open, there was a man there, wearing a facemask, clear glasses and gloves, but no hazmat suit. He had something in his hands and his eyes crinkled as though he were smiling underneath all the protective equipment. 

“Good morning Mister....Josten?” he said, looking down at his clipboard. “I’m Doctor Linux. The quarantine is over so long as no one is showing symptoms. Is it alright if I take your temperature?”

The man held up a thermometer and Neil nodded, craning his neck a little to look through the wooden railing. The plastic barrier had been removed. 

It only took a second for the reading to pop up on the Infrared device, 99.1. A little elevated, but he had just crawled out of a warm bed. 

“Looks good,” he said. “Remember to use precautions when you’re out and not to visit  crowded areas, but you’re free to leave. Have a nice day.”

The man turned to walk across the landing as Neil felt Andrew’s presence behind him. When the doctor knocked on the other door Andrew stepped into the opening where Neil was still holding the door open. 

“I’m over here,” he said. 

The doctor turned, cocking his head to the side. He looked down on the clipboard. “Minyard? Andrew?”

Andrew nodded and Dr. Linux walked back towards Neil’s apartment. If there was any suspicion on his face it was impossible to read, instead he just went through the same spiel with Andrew, whose temperature read 98.9.

They hovered in the door long after Dr. Linux disappeared down the stairs, both looking out at the sunlight filtering in through the narrow cut out of the building. Neil grinned towards the light, he could _ leave _ now. He could  _ run _ . Could smell fresh air. He could go visit Matt and Dan and buy groceries. 

Beside him, Andrew was taking several deep breaths of chilly winter air but made no move to go back to his own place. He stared at his own, closed door, for a moment but when he turned back to face Neil his expression was blank. Neil turned to face him. 

“We can go outside now....” he said, smile dropping just a fraction. 

Andrew nodded. “Now you can run until your heart explodes.”

Neil stared at  Andrew, Andrew stared back. For a moment Neil was sure Andrew would leave, go back to his own place and then _ this _ , whatever it was, would be over. But then Andrew just shrugged under the scrutiny and Neil could feel his smile lifting again, twitching just at the edge of his mouth. 

“ Wanna go back to bed?”

Andrew gave him a flat look but when Neil held out his hand just a fraction, Andrew took it and let himself be led back inside, kicking the door closed behind them. 

It was cold outside anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!! AND COMMENTING!! I hope this mess passes quickly and we can go outside again without worrying about stuff. Stay strong! <3


	6. Holiday Spirit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what??? I kept writing. XD 
> 
> I’m hoping to update weekly. HOPING. I have the whole thing blocked and a summary so I know where I’m going, just as long as work and school don’t get in the way I’ll post every week. 
> 
> Decided to continue as part of this fic instead of a 'part 2’ because you really have to have read the first part to get this one. I did a little summary at the first part of this chapter in case it’s been a couple weeks and you don’t wanna re-read. Happy quarantine-ing! T___T 
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T

** December 24th **

Somewhere in the back of Andrew’s mind, he knew it was Christmas Eve. Holidays had always been fruitless, frustrating things, but they did allow for time to get together with his family, which was rare these days. His cousin, Nicky, lived in Germany with his husband Erik. His best friend....his only friend (well....almost), Renee, was in California working for a non-profit. His twin was in the city but was a first-year medical resident and spent most of his days at Atlanta Memorial or with his wife, Katelyn, who was also a doctor. The last time they had all been in the same place had been a year ago.

Andrew had taken a year off after undergraduate school, torn between getting as far away from everyone as he could and ultimately deciding to work for a year to save money and pursue his masters in the same city his brother would be doing his medical internship. His brother had an interest in microbiology and wanted to work for the CDC, and really, that had colored the entire situation. 

Aaron's decision to be in Atlanta had led to Andrew moving there. Andrew moving into the student housing on his school's campus had led to him meeting his neighbor, Neil. And almost eight months later, after meeting Neil, that had led to where Andrew was now...in Neil’s apartment....in his bed. 

Normally, people might be out and about on Christmas  Eve; visiting family or last minute shopping. But due to a deadly flu outbreak in the country and their utter lack of interest in the holidays to begin with, they spent the bulk of Christmas Eve morning lounging in bed, kissing languidly to the sounds of the overhead fan whirring quietly and the occasional sound of a car driving on the street below. 

The pair had a lot of time to make up for. They spent the last eight months antagonizing each other with pranks and insults, having gotten off to a rocky start. But when the building had been quarantined due to the viral outbreak reaching their campus, it seemed time to put aside the animosity. Or not. Andrew still hated Neil. Hated his stupid beautiful face, his bright eyes and auburn hair. Hated his quick wit and the sound of his voice when he  _ really _ laughed. He hated the flush of his cheeks after a few glasses of wine and the way he held himself up just a little straighter when he was running, straight backed and perfect posture. Everything he hated about Neil he now took out on his face, destroying his mouth one hard press of lips at a time. It was equally infuriating and arousing that Neil didn’t attempt to go farther than Andrew wanted him to go. He was mindful of his hands and body, touching where he  was allowed to touch and not pushing for more than Andrew could tolerate. And most of all Andrew hated how alive Neil seemed under his touch; how he kissed with his whole body and breathed sounds that made Andrew want to break every rule he’d ever made and tear down every wall he’d put up to protect himself from this. From wanting someone so much his sanity was hanging on by a thread even if he wouldn’t actually admit he _ wanted _ Neil at all.

It had been eight days since he began to spend time with Neil. Eight days since the idiot had come over and asked for food because he’d gone through his bare minimal stock in a panic at being cooped up. Eight days since Andrew knew that the lean, former lacrosse player would be the death of him. 

Eventually they separated, long enough to catch their breath. The quarantine had  actually been lifted that morning but with no interest in leaving their bubble of warmth for reality, they’d found their way back between the sheets. Andrew stared for an indeterminate amount of time at Neil’s red, swollen lips, and Neil stared right back. Around ten they drifted back to sleep. By eleven they were both startled awake by banging on the door. But not Neil’s door. The sound was too hollow and distant to be his, though still loud. As they scrubbed their eyes and Andrew pushed the covers down, he realized the pounding was accompanied by yelling. It was muffled, but he’d recognize that voice anywhere. 

“Christ...” groaned Andrew, dragging a hand down his face. 

Neil yawned and stretched his hands above his head. Andrew’s eyes flicked down to where his t-shirt rose just above the waistband of Neil’s boxer-briefs, thoughts momentarily shorting out. 

“Nicky,” he finally muttered. 

“Your cousin, Nicky?” asked Neil, tipping his head to the side. 

Andrew nodded and crawled out of the bed, pulling on his socks. He tugged down his own tank top and adjusted his sweatpants, which were slightly twisted around his legs. On the other side, Neil threw his feet onto the floor and stood, stretching again, his back making a small popping sound that resulted in a contented sigh. Goddamn him. 

“I should go over there before they break my goddamn door down,” said Andrew, scowling and barely present. 

Neil smiled and crossed the room to stand in front of him. He hesitated, and then reached up to press his warm hands to Andrew’s cheeks, leaning down to kiss him. Andrew returned the kiss, opening his mouth to slid his tongue along Neil’s bottom lip and nipping when he withdrew. 

“I’ll see you later,” he said, pulling away. 

Of course, Neil had the audacity to look disappointed when Andrew turned away, but trained his lips into a smile. “Yea. Have fun with your family.”

Andrew wanted to ask what Neil was planning to do for the holidays. For all the things they talked about, they didn’t mention any  future plans . Perhaps at the time the subject of the ‘future’ was difficult since the only future they could see ended with a staircase blocked off by a plastic barricade and guys in hazmat suits with tasers. He wanted to ask but really, he didn’t care.  _ He didn’t _ . 

Andrew opened the door as quietly as possible and slipped onto the landing, his feet cold against the concrete through thin socks. He managed to get outside during another round of Nicky banging on his door and screaming that he was going to call the police if Andrew didn’t answer. It wasn’t until Neil closed the door behind him, clicking the lock, that the other men seemed to notice his presence. 

“Andrew! Thank god!” Nicky ran to him, dropping his hands across Andrew’s shoulders. “Are you okay? What are you doing out here...did I get your apartment number wrong?”

Nicky glanced at the opposite door, and the number barely visible under the wreath, dark brows digging into his tanned skin. 

Aaron crossed his arms, scrunching up his face in disgust and pretending like he didn’t just look supremely worried at Andrew's lack of response when he hadn’t answered to the knocking. 

“Ugh. You were boning your neighbor weren’t you? I fucking knew it.”

If anyone hated Neil more than Andrew, it was definitely Aaron, who had been the accidental victim of one of Neil’s pranks since he thought it had been Andrew rather than his twin. 

However, where Aaron looked disgusted, Nicky looked like he might burst from excitement, his previous worry and irritation completely lost in the wind. Before he could open his mouth again, Andrew jammed a finger into his  cousins' chest, and then pointed to Aaron. 

“If either of you speak to me again before I’ve had coffee, you’ll go back to your spouses without tongues...”

He brushed past his family and dug keys from the deep pocket of his sweats to open the door. They crowded in behind him but thankfully Nicky's stage whispered theories were directed at Aaron. Andrew set up the coffee maker and then went to shower, ignoring their stares and the questions in their eyes. He didn’t want to talk to them about Neil. That would make it real and real was terrifying. No, Andrew would be content to keep Neil in their little bubble of quarantined utopia for as long as possible. Or at least until he figured out what the hell they were doing. For a split second, just as the hot water cut on with a hiss and filled the room with steam, Andrew thought about walking away from it all. Pretending the last week and a half didn’t happen. But in the next second, his lids drooped only to see blue eyes and scarred cheeks and honestly, fuck Neil. 

* * *

By the time he rejoined his family, Nicky had, thankfully, moved on to another topic. Aaron was still eyeing him  curiously but Nicky seemed more interested in planning their annual New  Years Eve bash since Andrew was finally free to leave his apartment prison. Ever since their third year of undergraduate school, celebrating the holiday had become a sort of tradition. It was only then, after Andrew had gone off his medication and Aaron’s trial  was over did the twins somewhat reconcile and could stand each other long enough to spend a holiday together. After they left school, no matter where they were, they always managed find their way back together on December 31 st . For the last four years, Erik and Katelyn had made every trip with them. Andrew never brought anyone, not that he would ever let one of his random hookups meet his family anyway. Usually he was content to spend the time lurking in the shadows or chatting with Renee, who had made most of the get togethers over the years. Sometimes they held their little gatherings in nightclubs or other crowded venues where Andrew could slip away if he started feeling too much like a fifth wheel. Either to be alone or find some random guy to hook up with in a dark, deserted corridor.

“We could go back to Columbia to hang out?” Aaron suggested. “The new renters won’t move in for another three months.”

Nicky shook his head at the idea. “No. We won’t have time to get it cleaned up and there’s barely any furniture. Not to mention everyone we invited already expects it to be here.”

“Oh, you mean the four other people besides us?” scoffed Aaron. 

“You know what I mean. Lily and Ren are local and I'm sure whoever you guys invited are local too.”

Andrew sat back and watched them argue. It was pointless really. And  honestly, they should probably call the whole thing off. According to the governor, gatherings of more than twenty people were still banned and gatherings –at all- were discouraged. Bars and night clubs were still closed as were most other ‘non-essential’ businesses. Even the gym was still closed. It was unlikely the ban would be lifted in the next week, and even if it was, it probably wasn’t a good idea to go out somewhere with a horde of strangers. 

“We could just cancel it...” Andrew finally suggested, flipping through  Netflix idly without the volume on.

“No!” said Nicky. “No. ..we’ll just...do it at the hotel. They upgraded us to a suite anyways since they were trying to space out the rooms. It’s only what, like ten of us? No one’s sick so it will be fine.”

Aaron narrowed his eyes skeptically. “Fine. But I’m taking everyone’s  temperature before they come in. I don’t have time to get sick and the vaccine they’re working on isn’t ready yet.”

Nicky’s eye rolling led to another argument about the seriousness of the situation and Andrew checked out of the conversation by turning on a  partly-watched documentary. He half-listened to the rest of their ramblings, chiming in when something was directed his way and strategically changing the subject whenever he thought their questioning might lead to his personal life. Two hours later they finally left with Andrew’s promises that he would be at Aaron’s apartment the next day for Christmas, and that yes, he did  actually buy gifts this year instead of just putting money in empty envelopes. Shopping was stupid. Maybe the whole ‘spending time with your family’ thing was actually overrated too. Whatever. 

Once he was dressed, Andrew left his apartment for the first time in twelve days. He was running low on multiple items but even the short visit with his family left him mentally exhausted. When he returned it was with seven pints of ice cream and several bags of alcohol – the essentials. Just as he was heading down to his car for the last  bag he caught a glimpse of Neil, completely shrouded by mis-matched clothing and that bright orange hoodie he was so fond of. The runner was turning around the corner at the end of the block. Andrew smirked at the sight of him.  _ ‘Good. Now he won’t constantly ask to use my treadmill and bitch at me about the weird ticking sound it makes.’ _ As he put away the last of his groceries he caught a glimpse of the machine, one that had gotten more use in the last week than in the last two months and felt a small pang of something unfamiliar in his gut. He wouldn’t miss Neil coming over to steal his food, freeloading on his couch while pointing out the inaccuracies in the absurd movies he watched, or complaining about his exercise equipment. He wouldn’t miss spending so much time with him. Neil was just a passing pleasantry. Something he could never have and shouldn’t want. Something temporary, as nearly  all of his other relationships had been. So, he certainly wouldn’t miss the feel of his warm skin or his surprisingly soft lips.  _ He wouldn’t.  _

** December 25 ** ** th **

When Neil arrived back at his building, Allison’s Porsche was already parked at the end of the street. He ran the rest of the way to tap on the glass of the passenger window and she jumped, dropping her phone in her lap. It was only eight  AM but she had likely been texting him, judging by the scowl on her perfectly painted lips when she climbed out. Allison swung her large leather purse over her shoulder and glared at him.

“Where the fuck  have you been? I’ve been texting you for fifteen minutes.”

“Running. Why are you here so early? It’s barely eight o’clock,” he deadpanned, stepping back to give her room to step onto the sidewalk. 

“It’s Christmas,” she said huffily, giving a little flick of curled hair. 

Neil made a face and shrugged in a ‘so?’ manner, which prompted the taller woman to wrap her sharp nails around his shoulders and steer him towards the building. 

“Ugh you smell like sweat and athleticism. Now you’re going to have to shower before we go.”

“You  _ do _ remember that we met on a lacrosse team, right?” Neil said.  _ N _ _ ot _ __ rolling his eyes was a near thing.

Allison smacked the back of his head as they climbed the stairs. “I have never smelled bad a day in my life.”

He opened the door with a  chuckle and she tossed her bag on his second-hand couch. He missed the disgusted look she shot towards the worn piece of furniture since she headed towards the kitchen next. 

“Go clean up. I told Dan we would be there around nine.  Apparently Matt’s dad is in town for the day. He’s stopping by in the afternoon so Matt said we better get there before the Boyd meltdown happens when his mom and step-mom have to be in the same room for more than five minutes.”

Neil nodded even though he was out of sight and went to shower. When he entered his bedroom fifteen minutes later there were several pieces of clothing laid out on his bed, including a very ugly, very obnoxious sweater that read ‘So tacky I twinkle’ and apparently had lights on it. He hefted the sweater over a thin t-shirt with a sigh, knowing by now that arguing with Allison about it was pointless. It wasn’t like he would see anyone that would care, or like he didn’t have plenty of other clothing he wore in public that equally embarrassing - faded or riddle with holes, an old habit he’d never quite grown out of. He smoothed down the sweater with a frown and adjusted the dark green khakis on his hips. Where had these pants even come from? Were they his? Did she bring pants too? Neil shook his head, dispelling anymore curiosity about his wardrobe and sent a few droplets of water flying. 

He tolerated Allison rubbing gel through his hair. She didn’t seem surprised he had it so likely that’s where the little bottle had come from- her sneaking it under his sink during one of her previous visits. She tugged a few locks with a disapproving leer and told him she was going to cut it before she left for New York again. 

After he finished up in the bathroom, Allison kicked him out to change into her own holiday attire. She was already wearing a black, high-waisted, pencil skirt under a blue top, but when she emerged her lipstick had been refreshed and she donned little shiny tree baubles for earrings, along with a cropped sweater that was decorated to look like a Christmas present. She spun in place, arms poked out at her sides and posed a little when she faced him again, one he’d seen her use in various fashion magazines she always sent him copies of whenever she had a new line of clothing coming out. He quirked a brow at the sliver of skin that was just visible between the hem of her shirt and skirt. 

“It’s thirty degrees outside,” he said. 

Allison just blinked slowly, batting false eyelashes. “The weather won’t stop me from reminding everyone what a fucking gift I am, Josten.”

* * *

Neil and Allison were immediately swarmed by the Boyds (and one Wilds-Boyd) as soon as they entered the apartment, enduring bone-crushing hugs while clamoring to hold onto the bags of presents they’d toted along. Dan nearly knocked Neil over, her round belly bumping him before her arms were able to latch on and steady him. The chatter quickly devolved into the subject of the newest Boyd-to-be and Allison cupped her hands around Dan’s stomach, squealing cheerfully at feeling the baby move. Matt asked Neil if he wanted to feel and he made an excuse of needing to set down the presents. He was happy for his friends but  honestly, he found the idea of childbirth and children in general supremely unsettling. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen to move out when Matt and Dan got married, as Matt had confided in him that they were going to try and have kids as soon as possible. 

He took his time stacking the neatly wrapped gifts under the tree that was far too large for the size of the living room. Apparently, they had waited for their arrival since the other presents under the tree remained untouched. When he was finished the girls were still by the door fretting over Dan, but Matt had disappeared into the kitchen when the oven dinged. He returned with a plate of enormous cinnamon rolls and a wide grin. He waited until Matt set down the tray to pry one loose, holding it carefully over a napkin so the icing wouldn’t drip. As he ate, the sticky topping smeared across his mouth and he briefly though about Andrew’s aversion to messy things – how he would cut it or rip it to pieces to spare all but one or two fingers of the mess. 

After breakfast Matt  insisted they take a ‘family photo’. They were all wearing equally ridiculous sweaters, including Randy. And at eleven am, the ‘Merry Christmas’ text that came through from Kevin indicated he had somehow been roped into one of Allison’s sweater choices as well. He and Thea were standing side by side in the photo. While she had a smug pull to her smile, Kevin glowered at the screen and was reaching for the phone like he was trying to stop the timer from going off and capturing his humiliation forever. The photo came through their group chat and was followed by Kevin’s _ ‘Thea made me wear hers so she could wear mine,’ _ which Allison followed up with  _ ‘Oh sweetie, you’re definitely wearing the one I meant for you to wear.’ _ An emoji of a middle finger followed. Thea was wearing a sweater that bore an outline of Santa’s portrait with the scrawl ‘Where my Ho’s at?’. Kevin wore a matching sweater with a single ‘Ho’ emblazoned on the front. The former Foxes devolved into laughter after that and the chat went silent, which meant Kevin was sulking. They all loved him like family but he was incredibly easy to rile  up so it was usually at the top of their to-do list when they were all together. 

Presents followed shortly after. Neil was proud of his choices this year and had put a lot of thought into them, which the recipients seemed to appreciate. By the time lunch rolled around Neil was trying to figure out how to pack all his gifts into one of the large bags. Allison’s in particular took up a lot of space. She had given him a massive box with several pairs of pants and shirts from her newest line that wasn’t even on the market yet since she was always trying to make him dress better. At least there were a few sets of gym clothes in the mix. 

Around two, Matt wandered off to take a call from his father, who was apparently lost without a driver and between he and his young wife, they couldn’t figure out how to work the GPS on their phones. Randy snatched the phone away from her son to bark orders at her ex while Matt made frantic ceasing motions.  _ ‘Mom don’t make him  _ _ pissy _ _ before he even gets here!’ _

Neil sat in front of the tree, listening to Dan tell Allison some of the names they had discussed for the baby. 

“Matt likes  _ Priscilla. _ ...” said Dan, making a face. 

“Oh, over my dead body,” countered Allison. 

After hearing a few more of Matt’s suggestions, Neil decided he had to be fucking with Dan just to aggravate her because they all seemed ridiculous.

“So. ..what are we talking about?” asked Matt, dropping next to Dan on the couch, his hand immediately falling on her belly. 

“Baby names,” supplied Neil. 

“Oh! Babe,” he said, turning to Dan. “I thought of a new one. How about....Clementine.”

Allison screwed up her face and tossed a throw pillow at Matt. Neil looked thoughtful and muttered  _ ‘I like  _ _ clementines _ _...’. _ Allison hit him in the face with the remaining pillow. 

* * *

Neil and Allison left the Boyds just as Doctor Boyd pulled up in an expensive looking rental car and the pair high-tailed it to the Porsche before they were recognized. The drive seemed longer back to the apartment, Allison singing along obnoxiously to a Mariah Carey Christmas song on the radio. Neil smiled as he watched her. He missed her. Missed  all of his friends. While he talked with them regularly on video chats, they saw each other with much less frequency these days. He could probably count on his fingers how many times Allison had visited over the last three years and seeing Kevin was even more rare since he played professional lacrosse and traveled often. Most of his time was spent with Matt and Dan, though he assumed that would even grind to a halt once they were busy with the baby. He couldn’t fault any of them for it. He was proud of everything they had accomplished and enjoyed watching them achieve their dreams. It made him happy. But something inside clenched terribly at the thought of getting left behind. It was a familiar, if somewhat forgotten feeling, and he hated that life had pulled them all apart. They were the first real family Neil had ever had and wanted. 

As the car passed familiar scenery, Allison jostled his shoulder from where he was leaning against the window, having taken his silence for exhaustion. Which was partially true. 

“Hey! You fallin’ asleep on me Josten? When did you turn into such an old man?” joked Allison. 

Neil just sighed and continued his  perusal of passing shrubbery. “Grad school is exhausting.”

Allison laughed and turned onto his street. “Yea well, I told you to just go pro like Kevin, but did you listen? Sitting at a desk all day saps your energy.”

He grumbled something unintelligible. She had indeed told him to go pro after college – and he had a few offers on the table by the time he graduated. Ultimately, he was tired of having his life under a microscope and people digging into his past. His first two years at school had been hell – the rivalry between Kevin and the  Moriyamas , and then with Neil because he couldn’t keep his fat mouth shut. His kidnapping, torture, and then his  fathers death and narrowly escaping jail by making a deal with the feds for information that would help lead to the arrest of the rest of his inner circle. All laid bare for the media. After two years of enduring taunts from the other teams and his classmates – being openly called the ‘butcher’s boy’, he decided to pass on a life in the spotlight. It ached to give it up. He still managed to play with Matt and Dan on the weekends in the summer at the college Dan worked at, but he did miss it. Sometimes he even regretted giving it up. But regret had never done him any good. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back to the hotel? I have a conference meeting at  four but it shouldn’t take more than a couple hours. We could hang out tonight,” suggested Allison, pulling alongside his building. 

He shook his head. “It’s alright, I’m probably just going to get ahead with some reading for school and crash early. But you’re still picking me up for ‘ _ brunch’ _ tomorrow, right?”

“You bet your sculpted ass I am,” she said, giving his ass a small slap as he exited the car. He jumped at the touch and leaned down to grab the bags from the floorboard, heaving them out.

“Thanks, Allison. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Neil.”

He watched her drive away and steeled himself for he  walk up several flights of stairs, hoping the flimsy handles on the bags wouldn’t rip. Once he reached the third landing he knocked at Andrew’s door and put down the larger of the bags. After knocking again and only hearing quiet meows in return, Neil discerned he wasn’t home. He wanted to give Andrew his gift in person, but maybe it would be less awkward if he didn’t. They barely knew  each other and Neil had bought the thing on a whim. The crystal store he passed on his run had just been  closing up on Christmas Eve when he spied something glittering in the window. According to the shopkeeper, they had just opened up for last minute pick-up orders but Neil convinced the man to let him come inside since he was the only customer.

Neil chewed his lip for several minutes and scuffed the toe of his shoe into the door mat before tucking the bag in the corner, just next to the door. He retreated to his own apartment and heaved a sigh, contemplating the  blonds reaction to the gift. Maybe he wouldn’t even acknowledge it at all. And it wouldn’t matter either way. It was just as much a thank you for looking out for him the last week as a holiday gift. It was totally normal to thank people. And buy them expensive glassware on a whim. Right?

* * *

It was after ten when Andrew finally arrived home. He was grumpy and exhausted, having spent the last nine hours with his family. The first part of the afternoon had been spent at Aaron and Katelyn's apartment, with Katelyn’s parents as surprise guests that his twin just  _ happened _ to forget to mention. They were pleasant enough people, but Andrew didn’t really do pleasant. Or parents. Or people. And he could tell they still didn’t approve of Aaron. Not entirely. He still remembered them at the wedding – all tight smiles and whispered ‘are you sure-s’ to their precious daughter who would be marrying a murderer. Not that he was ever convicted, but Andrew supposed his brothers lack of outward emotion over the whole ordeal had people questioning his sanity. Andrew knew what that was like.

The second part of the day had been more relaxed, spent at Nicky and Eriks suite and mostly consisted of a lot food and a lot of whisky. Which was why he’d ended up staying so long, trying to get some of it out of his system before getting in the car. His tolerance  definitely wasn’t what it used to be. 

Andrew’s keys jingled in his pocket and he shifted the small parcel of gifts under his arm. Before he reached the platform to his floor, his eyes landed on another package, tucked in the corner next to his door. He leaned town to swipe the bag. The only indicator as to the origin of the present was the small tag attached to the corded handle that read ‘To: Andrew, From: N’. Andrew looked back and forth between the gift and Neil’s door. His porch light was off, probably burned out again since the complex never put the correct bulbs in them. His hand was poised to knock when he lost his nerve, turning back to his own door. 

He kicked it open and set the parcel on the floor, carrying the bag to the coffee table. Directly inside was something wrapped in aluminum foil. Upon further inspection Andrew learned it was a very large cinnamon roll with what looked like gobs of extra icing smeared around the bottom. He sniffed it thoughtfully before wrapping it back up. Next, he pulled out a small box. It wasn’t wrapped and his light brows dug into his forehead, contemplating the photo on the front. He assumed it was just a generic box that had been reused, but when he dug it open found that the contents were true to the packaging. First came a card – generic with the picture of a cat in a Santa hat. Inside was something Andrew assumed Neil thought was passable writing. It read  _ ‘something for your expensive whisky that is definitely not rat poison’ - N _ . With careful fingers, Andrew pulled out two old fashioned glasses. Intricately etched glass in a geometric design sparkled on the bottom, light bouncing off the crystal, while the top was almost a matte black. They were beautifully crafted and had to have been expensive. Worst of all, they were  _ thoughtful _ . Andrew carefully replaced the glasses and swallowed thickly, looking idly at his closed door. He hadn’t even thought to get Neil anything. And why should he? They barely knew each other. The box wound up shoved to the far corner of the couch and Andrew had every intention of forgetting about even. Even though half an hour later he ended up angrily snatching up the cinnamon roll and heating it up in the microwave. Even though an hour later he silently shoved a note under Neil’s door before flopping onto his bed, still wearing all of his clothes. Why were holidays so complicated?

** December 26 ** ** th **

Somehow Neil overslept the day after Christmas, leaving him to scramble to get ready to leave the house. Allison picked him up at 10:30am and he was so preoccupied about getting out the door that he missed the small note on his floor. When he returned at two, he slipped on the paper while kicking his trainers off to the side. Curious fingers plucked the torn sheet of notebook paper and read out loud, “Text. Call me and I’ll slit your throat in your sleep.” Underneath the perfectly neat cursive, was a phone number. 

Neil grinned and immediately threw himself on the couch, holding his phone aloft. He added  Andrews number.

**_ 803-786-5612 _ ** [Busy today? -N]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Groceries. Someone ate all my food.]

Andrew had been getting out of the shower when his phone dinged, snatching it from the counter before bothering to get dressed. He added Neil’s contact information. 

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [ I barely ate anything. You’re the one who went through seven pints of ice cream in a week. How are you not out of shape?]

**_ Andrew  _ ** [Spite is a pretty good motivator.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Spite for what?]

**_ Andrew  _ ** [ Everything.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Well, when you’re done being spiteful, come over? I’m bored.]

But Andrew didn’t go over that day. He purposefully kept himself busy the rest of the day, ending his night with a long workout and a second shower. Once he was in  bed, he stared at the phone held above him, squinting a little at the brightness before turning it down. He tapped out a quick text and waited for a reply. 

**_ Andrew _ ** [Rain check? Going to bed.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Already? It’s only 9. Or are you just saying that to avoid me beating you at  monopoly again?]

Andrew snapped a selfie from his place in bed, where Sir was laying at the top of his head like an  ushanka and sent it, his middle finger prominent by his throat.

**_ Andrew  _ ** [Already in bed.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Nice hat.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Not really. It’s kind of an asshole.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Don’t talk about my best friend that way.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [He tried to maul you last week.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [So?]

**_ Andrew  _ ** [So normally you don’t make friends with things that would enjoy watching you bleed.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [I’m friends with  you, aren’t I?]

Andrew could see the smirk even if he couldn’t  _ see  _ the smirk.

**_ Andrew _ ** [If I cared I would worry about your life choices.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [I worry enough about my life choices for the both of us.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Idiot.]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Usually yea.]

Andrew sighed and took a moment before responding. Usually he wasn’t one for polite greetings or fond farewells. 

**_ Andrew _ ** [Goodnight, Neil.]

Neil apparently had already picked up on that in his time knowing Andrew because he incorrectly took it as sarcasm. 

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor _ ** [Fine, fine. I’m taking the hint.]

A few seconds later another message came through. 

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor  _ ** [Goodnight, Andrew.]

Andrew tried his best to scowl at the phone but couldn’t force through the expression. 

**_ Andrew _ ** [Come over for breakfast tomorrow. 10am]

**_ Infuriatingly attractive neighbor  _ ** [Yea. I’d like that.]

Andrew flopped onto his stomach to bury his head in the pillow, wiping the smile from his face. At least no one had been there to see it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys wanna come up with some fun phone contact names for Andrew and Neil to use for each other throughout the fic I might include them. =)


	7. Days Gone By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late! School has been very busy. Hope everyone is well and not having to hard a time in quarantine. If you are I can provide you with some great mental health services that are still operating just let me know!
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T

** December 27 ** ** th **

By the time Neil reached Andrew’s apartment the next morning, breakfast was nearly ready. A massive spread of dishes sat across the stove and counter-tops. A glass tray with an egg bake of spinach and feta, browned, bite-sized potatoes, bacon and sausage, a bowl of something white that he thought might be grits, fried apples in some sort of cinnamon sauce and a bowl of fresh fruit. Andrew looked like he might have been up for hours, his face slightly tinged red from exertion and a thin, black band around his head to hold his hair back. He snatched the band off as soon as he let Neil inside and tossed it somewhere out of the way. He also pulled a thin shirt on over his tank top before getting to work making plates. Neil gave him a questioning look upon seeing the ridiculous pile of food which was only met with a scowl in return, as if daring Neil to question it.

They ate in silence, without so much as a morning greeting, Andrew breaking his own rules to feed the cats little pieces of egg or sausage. Neil spent a good bit of time letting his food get cold in lieu of watching King and Sir fight over the blueberry he’d given them, watching them bat it across the floor instead of eating it. When he had stuffed himself, Neil pushed his plate away on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch, watching Andrew shovel spoonfuls of apples into his mouth. 

“I haven’t gone on my run yet today and now I don’t think I can...” sighed Neil, turning to lean back on the armrest. 

Andrew’s eyes flicked down to where  Neil’s hand laid across his belly and then back up. “Your junkie body will survive one day, I assure you.”

Neil hummed neither denial or affirmation, just let his head lull sideways to the cushion and closed his eyes. A few moments later King jumped onto his lap and he made a quiet ‘ oof ’ sound, letting her circle his abdomen until she curled up. 

Andrew finished eating and pushed his own plates aside, lounging back to mirror Neil, taking his relaxed form as permission to be lazy. Eventually Andrew drifted off and when he woke it was to sounds in the adjacent room. He’d only dozed off for half an hour but Neil had taken their plates into the kitchen to wash them. 

“Hope I didn’t wake you....” Neil said quietly, eyeing the tuft of Andrew’s hair that was poking out from where his head had been laying on the back of the couch. 

Andrew just shrugged and settled at the opposite counter to watch Neil. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows and his scars were covered in suds as he rinsed each plate. Andrew’s eyes jumped to every piece of exposed skin before settling on Neil’s neck. The dishes clunked around in the soapy water and Andrew tapped a restless finger on the counter at his hip. He was trying to keep from pressing his lips to the hint of a scar that was just visible at the edge of Neil’s shirt. When Neil turned back, flashing a grin before going back to the dishes, it effectively plowed over Andrew’s resolve and he pushed off the counter. 

His movement was slow, so Neil could see him from his periphery. First his hands caged Neil in place, curling along the edge of the laminate. Then he leaned in. Neil stiffened for a micro-second and then  subtly tipped his head to the side, allowing Andrew greater access to his neck. The touch was  light and he pulled away a moment later. The next time Neil turned his head he was met with Andrew’s lips and melted into the touch. 

Andrew’s mouth still tasted like the remnants of the apple’s they’d eaten earlier. Sweet with hints of cinnamon. Without pulling away, Neil reached for the dish towel on the counter and dried off his hands, tossing it off to the side somewhere when they were dry. Then he turned the rest of his body in Andrew’s arms and lifted his hands to card through blond hair just as Andrew closed the gap between them. Andrews fingers left the counter to dig into Neil’s waist and Neil dropped his lips to Andrew’s jaw, kissing a trail down his neck. Neil’s hands sank lower and he jerked a little, realizing he was dangerously close to touching outside of Andrew’s comfort zone. But Andrew only reached up, slid his hands along scarred arms and placed Neil's hands on his shoulders. 

“No lower,” he whispered, catching the lobe of Neil’s ear between his teeth.

Neil nodded against his neck and licked a slow line to the junction of Andrew’s throat, sucking lightly when he reached his pulse. The wet trail continued upwards and when Neil’s tongue flicked against the skin under Andrew’s ear he shuddered. Neil smiled against his skin and Andrew must have noticed because he pressed his fingers in harder and gritted out “Your neck fetish is not attractive.”

“You like it,” said Neil, dropping down to his  adams apple, kissing lightly before sniffing a laugh into the pale column of his throat. “I like that you like it.”

He punctuated the kiss with a nip of his teeth and a low noise that might have been a growl escaped Andrew’s mouth. The blond reached up with one hand to tug on Neil’s hair, forcing his mouth back up and his own tongue to push past kiss swollen lips. Neil groaned into the kiss and leaned into the solid mass of Andrew’s body. They weren’t quite touching but were close enough that Andrew could feel the strain behind Neil’s pants between them. He’d kept himself under control so far but couldn’t help grinding his hips against Neil’s, guiding him through it with a hand on his hip. He only did it once but a few seconds later Neil pressed against him firmly and Andrew felt it like a heat wave washing over his entire body, rippling outwards and burning the air between them. 

They were both gasping for breath when they ripped away from each other, having been startled by a loud buzz. Neil’s phone had vibrated in his back pocket and the sound was deafening against the countertop. 

“Ignore it....” breathed Neil, pupils blown wide and eyes dark as he dipped back to Andrew’s mouth again. 

But it kept buzzing. A continuous sound consistent with a call rather than a text. Finally, Neil groaned and pulled away, hands dropping from Andrew’s shoulders to dig in his pocket. Andrew leaned back to give him room and watched him bring the phone up to his ear. Watched his slick lips shine in the bright lights of the kitchen as he huffed into the device. 

“Matt? Can I call you back? I’m kind of in the mid....” Neil’s expression went from heated to concern in a heartbeat. “What? But...it’s  too early right?! No... no of course. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Andrew’s fingers dropped from Neil’s hip as he stepped away fully, putting a foot between them. 

“I have to go. Dan’s having her baby,” said Neil, looking worried. 

Andrew nodded and moved out of the way so Neil could exit the kitchen. He didn’t miss the way Neil adjusted himself in his pants as he reached the door. Just as he got it cracked, Andrew swiped his keys off the coffee table. 

“Here,” he said, pressing them into Neil’s palm. “This will be quicker and safer than public transit right now.”

Neil brought the keys up to chest height and looked down at them, forehead wrinkling in confusion. “Andrew...I can’t drive your car....”

“You don’t know how to drive?” asked Andrew. 

“I do...” clarified Neil. “But I  mean...you drive an expensive car don’t you?”

Andrew smirked a little. “The Maserati? Yes, Neil.  Maserati's are expensive. I’m insured. Just don’t put it in a ditch.”

Blue eyes darted from the keys to Andrew’s face, which was blank but still somehow full of underlying resolve. Neil didn’t know when he’d come to read all of Andrew’s little micro-expressions but he would have to analyze that revelation another time. 

“Thanks....” he muttered, curling his fingers over the keys. “I’ll text you.”

Neil leaned in and kissed Andrew on the cheek, and then he was gone.

The door closed and Andrew leaned against it heavily, letting a loud sigh fan out around the empty room. The cats hummed quietly at his feet, sitting there with bright eyes, looking expectant. 

“ ....The fuck are you looking at?” 

Sir and King meowed in unison. 

* * *

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [Matt fainted. He made a bigger noise when he hit the ground than I thought he would.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Is my car in one piece?]

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [Mostly.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [ _ Neil. _ ]

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [Yes, fine. I didn’t scratch your precious car. Does it have a name? Matt and Allison are still arguing over baby names. Dan is mostly just yelling a lot.]

**_ Andrew  _ ** [It’s a car.]

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [People name their cars. Can I name it?]

Andrew slowed his pace on the treadmill to a walk and stared down at his phone, sweat beading on his brow. 

**_ Andrew _ ** [No.]

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [How about...the  batmobile .]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Unoriginal.  And also no. Naming things is stupid.]

**_ Hot idiot junkie  _ ** [Is that why you’ve got cats names Sir Fat Cat  McCatterson and King  Fluffkins ?]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Nicky named those furry assholes. Don’t you have better things to do right now than name inanimate objects? Shouldn’t you be watching your friend push seven pounds of screaming fetus out of her  vag or something?]

**_ Hot idiot junkie _ ** [What.  Ew . You don’t actually think they expect me to stay for that  part do you? Oh my god. What if they want me to stay for that part? Andrew. I can’t do this. Hospitals are bad  enough but I don’t do children. Or fetuses. Or vagina.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [You sure? You’ve seemed  pretty eager the last couple weeks. Maybe  it's time to give women another  try .]

**_ Hot idiot junkie  _ ** [You know what I  fucking mean. Oh god. I’m  gonna ask Matt.]

**_ Hot idiot junkie  _ ** [Matt says yes. Wait...no. Dan says no. Now she’s yelling again. Oh. We're getting kicked out. I need a drink. Or to pee. Or maybe to be knocked out. This is very stressful.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [This is why I don’t have friends.]

**_ Hot idiot junkie  _ ** [Because you don’t want to watch them push babies out of their vaginas?]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Precisely.]

Neil went quiet after that. The next time Andrew’s phone buzzed it was with a picture, nearly five hours later. Neil was holding a pink, alien looking creature only visible from its tiny double-chin up. The eyes were still closed but he supposed it looked like any other normal human infant. Not that he’d ever seen many. Though his focus was less drawn to the child and more to Neil, who looked supremely uncomfortable holding the tiny bundle. His shoulders were drawn up and tense and his friend, Matt, was behind him, hands guiding the height of Neil’s elbows. Brows knitted over blue eyes that surveyed the child with equal amounts of aw and fear and his lips were parted to form a small little ‘o’. Andrew felt the corner of his lip lift and quickly tossed the phone onto the couch, turning towards the bathroom. It was just a stupid picture. God, when had he gotten so  _ soft _ ? Never had a simple picture been able to elicit such an emotional response before. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. He knew Neil was a problem, something he hadn’t dealt with before and made him feel exceedingly out of his depth. None of his prior hookups made him feel anything, other than dispassionate arousal, that, once sated went away immediately. But Neil lingered. Got under his skin. He still wanted him even after he was out of sight.

Steam filled the shower and Andrew found himself trying to scrub his skin raw to get the feeling out. Out and away from his gut where it festered and bloomed and started to feel...not bad. He didn’t know what to do with good feelings. Bee’s voice floated up amongst the steam and Andrew could practically hear her telling him not to automatically push it away just because it was new, because it was good. Andrew thought he’d worked through most of his shit years  ago but the truth was, without having something good in his life, it was hard to put his lessons into practice. Sure, his relationships with Aaron and Nicky were better now, but they were family. Blood. Renee was as good as family. Neil was different. An outsider who wormed his  way in with an understanding smile and his ability to take Andrew at more than face value. He wondered what Neil would do if he knew more. Knew about Andrew’s past. Something he’d mostly hidden, even from his family. They knew about Drake, were with him through the years of his medication induced mania, but that was only the surface. He thought maybe Neil could know his truth and not be afraid of it. Not because Andrew knew about Neil, but because Neil was strong. He was a survivor too and the person he was now was whole. And Andrew envied him for it. 

The water turned cold and pulled him from his introspection. He climbed out of the shower and dressed in sweats. Dropping onto the couch, Andrew dug into a pint of rocky road and tried not to think about the calories he’d just burned off a few hours ago. Tried not to think about Neil, looking down at an infant and looking so innocent and afraid - like he was sure he didn’t deserve the honor of holding such a fragile creature. 

The TV turned on and Andrew used his toe to press the button on the remote until it stopped on a channel with a Law and Order marathon. Yes. Murderers and terrorists. A much more pleasant subject for his brain to digest. 

* * *

When nine o’clock rolled around, Andrew was hunched over his keyboard at his desk, searching for bargains on the books he would need for the upcoming semester. His mouth was still drawn to a scowl at the price tag of one of them when keys  jingled and the door cracked open. There were a few quiet knocks before Neil pushed it the rest of the way. Andrew quickly snatched the reading glasses from his face and tucked them away behind the computer. He didn’t wear them often, but if he was reading small print or staring at a bright screen for too long it hurt his eyes. He’d only grudgingly picked up a pair of drug-store glasses when Aaron had pointed out all the squinting was going to age him prematurely. 

“Hey....” said Neil, tossing the keys onto the coffee table only seconds before collapsing onto the couch.

“Hey,” countered Andrew, spinning the chair enough to face his house guest. 

Neil heaved a sigh and dropped a forearm over his eyes to block out the light. He was squirming on the couch and Andrew realized he was trying to kick his shoes off so he could put his feet on the cushions. 

“Having babies is stressful,” he said with another sigh. 

A blond eyebrow arched delicately, not that Neil could see it, and Andrew leaned back a little in the chair. “Something you want to tell me?”

The arm lifted slightly so Neil could glare from under it. “Shut up.”

Andrew pushed out of the chair and walked to the kitchen. When he’d filled a glass of  water he returned to the living room, leaning down to set it on the coffee table within Neil’s reach. At the ‘clinking’ sound of glass on glass, the other man pushed himself up enough so his shoulders rested on the armrest and it gave Andrew enough room to sit down at the other end. Neil took the glass with a mumbled ‘thanks’ and sipped it carefully from his half-curled position on the couch. Andrew just watched him. 

“She was just so.......tiny. But strong...you could feel it in her fingers,  ya know? But when Matt made me hold  her I was so afraid all I would do was drop her.” 

As Neil continued to  talk he sank lower onto the couch again and Andrew pulled Neil’s feet across his thighs. The gesture was wholly unconscious but soon Andrew had a socked foot between his palms and was pressing fingers to Neil’s instep. Neil practically liquefied into the touch and continued talking quietly about his  friends baby. Maya. Maya Fox Boyd-Wilds, he said her name was. Neil’s arm found its way back to his eyes and Andrew switched to his other foot. Neil sucked in a hiss when Andrew  pressed on a knot at his heel and then his body sagged as the pressure was released. It was so incredibly soothing, even for Andrew, that he didn’t even have time to analyze how this was something he had never, ever done before nor would have ever considered himself to do. He didn’t touch people like this, casually or otherwise. In some ways it was more intimate than sex and Andrew’s insides were pooling with warmth as soon as his mind started to process what his body had been doing for the last half hour. 

“ ..... I  dunno . It’s scary,  ya know?” Neil continued. “People like me shouldn’t be allowed to be around kids. They’re so innocent and fragile...what if I rub off on them somehow? What if they can like...sense bad vibes or whatever? I was already on edge because I had to be in a hospital. After the last time I...”

Andrew cupped Neil’s left foot in his palm and squeezed a little when he trailed off, went quiet. “Neil?”

“Oh...uh...nothing. Sorry I’m just tired...” he said, with a yawn Andrew believed though he was sure it was equally used as a distraction. “...don’t know why I’m talking so much. Just wanna...just...close my eyes for a second...”

Giving his foot one last squeeze, Andrew slid off the couch. He picked up the glass and took it to the kitchen to refill. The cats followed him, curling around his ankles so he paused to feed them. By the time he returned, Neil had gone still, save for his chest rising and falling steadily. His arm was still over his face but Andrew could see his slightly parted lips breathing evenly. 

“Neil?” he asked quietly. 

Letting out a little sigh of his own, Andrew turned out the light. He went through his nightly routine silently. As an afterthought, he grabbed a blanket from his bed and tossed it over Neil’s sleeping form and tried desperately not to let the last image in his head be of a  peacefully slumbering Neil – otherwise he’d never sleep. 

* * *

** December 28 ** ** th ** ****

Gray light was poking around the edges of the curtains when Neil woke the next morning. His limbs were tangled in a blanket he didn’t remember falling asleep in and his cheeks flushed at the memory of effectively  _ passing out _ on Andrew’s couch. The crick in his neck quickly drowned out any embarrassment and he rubbed it with a wince as he sat up, throwing the blanket off. King, who had been sleeping at his feet hissed at the sudden movement and jumped to the floor. According to his watch it was just after seven. Neil gazed at Andrews closed door for several minutes before deciding to get up. For  a brief moment he hovered in place, tempted to join Andrew for another hour of sleep. Ultimately he left quietly and sent a text, thanking Andrew for loaning him the car and for letting him crash on his couch. It seemed impersonal and a poor thanks for what he’d been given, but he didn’t think Andrew would appreciate being woken before the sun had even fully come up. 

The rest of the day passed dully. He went on his run, made breakfast, texted Matt and video chatted with Kevin. Andrew returned his message after noon but only to send him a running commentary of the day he’d been having with his brother and cousin. Sometimes the texts were just a selfie of Andrew looking thoroughly unimpressed and completely disinterested in whatever is happening with his family, but the photos still brought a smile to Neil’s face. In return, Neil sent a photo of himself, jaw in his palm, leaning over his computer reading something about  _ math  _ with the caption  _ “It has to be more interesting than what I’m doing...” _

** Andrew  ** [Josten, literally everything happening on the planet right now is more interesting than math.]

But it did the trick and got Andrew to  open up a little about his day. He texted Neil that he was discussing his  cousins potential move back to the states. Apparently, Nicky’s husband, Erik, worked for an international marketing firm that would be opening a branch up in Florence, South Carolina. With Erik’s parents retired to Zurich he thought it might be time to travel and knew Nicky had been missing the US. When Neil asked  _ ‘Why Florence? _ ’ Andrew went silent. 

* * *

** December 29 ** ** th **

On the 29 th Andrew still hasn’t returned Neil’s texts. The last one he’d sent had been a picture of baby Maya, bundled up in a blue blanket and her eyes tightly shut. Though he didn’t really expect a response to that one. As he was trying to think of something Andrew  _ would  _ respond to, a knock on his door nearly made him jump out of his skin. If his disappointment over who was visiting actually showed, Allison didn’t seem to notice. Instead she pushed past him like she owned the place and sank down onto the couch, kicking her heels halfway across the room and letting her legs part crudely. Neil smiled and shook his head, used to the enigma that was Allison Reynolds. He’d hated her at first. She was bitchy, over-bearing, and a know-it-all. But she was also strong, unapologetic and fiercely loyal to her friends. He considered himself lucky to call her one. To call her family. 

“Ugh it’s only noon and I’m exhausted. I just came from Dan’s and I’ve had to change my top three times today. Maya kept puking on me. Babies are disgusting. Cute though...” she added, but then made another face. “But disgusting.”

Neil leaned over the back of the couch next to her head. “So then, I can’t expect any little Reynolds running around in the future? Shame...I was looking forward to corrupting them.”

“No fucking way. I worked way too hard for this body for some little  rugrats to ruin it. Also, I don’t do baby poop. Also, you say that like I wouldn’t corrupt them first...” she said, reaching up and plucking his forehead. 

His hand shot up and massaged the skin, curls falling down over his eyes. Allison leaned back further and reached up to yank on a tuft of hair none too gently. 

“Come on Josten...let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll be damned if you look like a hobo in our annual New  Years Eve photos.”

Fifteen minutes later Neil found himself hunched over on his toilet seat with Allison pressed in behind him. In his years spent on the run with his mother she had always cut his hair, poorly, to say the least. Later, when he was on his own, he’d taken a pair of generic scissors around his hairline whenever the locks had gotten out of hand. More than one of his former teammates had told him he looked ‘homeless’ when he showed up at Palmetto State – all of them right, even if they didn’t realize it. It wasn’t until his second year that he’d trusted Allison enough to let her get near his head with a pair of shears. He was still too paranoid to go to an actual barber. 

Allison combed and  snipped and their conversation steered towards their New  Years plans. Randy Boyd would be leaving to return to New York that evening and  originally they had all planned to have a party at Matt and Dan’s. With the new baby in tow, earlier than expected, Allison suggested a game night instead.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You guys aren’t exactly ....calm when we play things. I thought you said we’d need to be quiet?” asked Neil. 

Allison hummed and tugged at a chunk of hair, combing it to one side. “Hmm...fair point. Maybe we should just watch a movie instead? A really sad movie...”

“...Only if you want Matt to cry through the whole thing,” he laughed. 

“A documentary then. Something boring. God, why can’t we just be calm, boring people?” sighed Allison. 

“Fate, I assume. Oh! We could watch the  Cosmos? It’s pretty interesting actually...”

Allison raised a brow and if Neil were  taller he might have seen it in the mirror. “Since when do you watch documentaries?”

“They’re not that bad,” countered Neil, clicking his tongue. “Andrew and I watched this one about the Russian Revolution that was pretty good. We started watching the Cosmos but...”

A sharp tug of his hair brought his statement to a halt. 

“Wait...” said Allison. “Who the fuck is Andrew?”

Too late, he realized his mistake. Allison knew damn well  each and every one of his friends because he only had a handful of them. 

“My neighbor,” he said, blandly. “We hung out a bit while we were quarantined...”

The light buzzing of the clippers filled the silence for a few minutes while Allison cleaned up the sides and back of his head, leaving the longer curls on top but trimmed. He knew there was no way she was letting that slide and as soon as the buzzing  stopped she ripped the gown off his shoulders and crouched down to meet him at eye level, putting her hands on his knees. He could feel her nails digging in through his sweatpants. 

“Your neighbor,” she said flatly. “The one who you almost started World War III with last summer?”

Neil gave his best non-committal shrug and tried to hold her eye contact, knowing she would sense the lie if he looked away. 

“He’s not that bad...” Neil deflected. 

“Not that bad.” repeated Allison. “Neil in August you told me you were thinking about setting his car on fire....”

“Yea but that was before...” 

_ Whoops.  _

“Before what?” she said, lips turning upwards. 

“Nothing.”

“ _ Neil. _ Before. What?”

He sighed and dropped his head back to his shoulders momentarily, knowing there was no way out of the carefully laid trap she’d set for him. 

“.....Before I made out with him on his couch and we sort of...hooked up...” he breathed, finally dropping his head back down only to be met with a  cheshire like grin. 

“Oh my god,” she said. “Oh my  _ god _ . How could you not have told me this?! Neil!”

“I’m sorry!” he said quickly, throwing his hands up. “I just...I didn’t want it to be weird after I couldn’t...with you...”

Allison stood and reached out to pull him up by his shoulders, holding him there. She was still grinning. 

“Neil...I assure you that I am plenty secure about myself.  So what if it didn’t work with us. I’m over it. But ugh...you’re my best friend!” she said, punching him in the shoulder so hard he winced. “I can’t believe you didn’t call me  _ immediately. _ I need you to tell me absolutely everything, right the fuck now.”

Neil shifted uncomfortably and couldn’t help looking away now, his cheeks heating.

“There’s nothing to tell ....I just...” he rubbed at his newly shaved nape, “I don’t know.”

She finally released  him and her expression went serious for just a moment. “You like him?”

“I....” blue eyes found blue and he nodded. “Yea. I do.”

Allison let out a decidedly un-Allison like squeal and reached down to grab his wrist, pulling him out of the bathroom. He tried to protest, tried to look at his new haircut in the mirror as they passed but she had a firm grip as she tugged him along. 

They ended up back on the couch and Allison pulled his computer on her lap, opening it with ease, apparently already knowing his password. Maybe he should change that....

“Uh...what are you doing?”

“The fuck does it look like I’m doing? You are going to tell me how all this happened and I, am going to order you a new wardrobe for all the dates you’re going to go on as soon as this bullshit virus is gone..”

His head dropped back onto the couch and he groaned superficially, fighting a small smile. Dates. He hadn’t given it much thought. Any thought. But maybe it would be nice. Going out with Andrew somewhere that wasn’t either of their small apartments. 

While Allison clicked away and showed him various items of clothing on the  screen , he discreetly texted Andrew.  _ ‘When we can go out again there’s  _ _ somewhere _ _ I want to take you.’ _

When the smile came this time he didn’t fight it.

* * *

** December 30 ** ** th **

Andrew’s phone buzzed again, this time a text from Nicky. The sound was quiet but jarring since the last few he’d received had set him on edge. Not the content, but because he didn’t know how to respond to the sender. He flipped screens and thumbed through the last text – and all the ones before. Neil’s messages. 

When Neil had asked him ‘ _ Why Florence?’ _ something had twisted in his gut. The lingering feeling that had been there since Neil had made his admission about hating hospitals a few nights ago. And before that Neil’s confessions about his past – a past Andrew knew about. Andrew had been many things in his  life but he’d never been a liar. Of course, keeping information to himself didn’t make him a liar, but this time it bothered him. He’d kept his own past from his family. It wasn’t until most of it was dragged through an open court room that they really knew – and even  then they’d only scratched the surface. But something about pretending to  _ not _ know who Neil was felt like a lie. He’d watched Neil come over in his Palmetto Sweatshirt. Had seen pictures of he and his friends in his apartment. He needed to come clean if he was going to...what was he planning to do?  _ Date _ Neil?  _ ‘There’s somewhere I want to take you’. _ No, that was stupid. He didn’t  _ date.  _ He’d been on his earth for twenty-seven years and never been on a date, what was the point in starting now? And Neil sure didn’t seem like he dated. But then again, he didn’t really  _ know _ Neil. Not really. The spinning hamster wheel in his mind effectively made him lose his grip and Andrew’s phone smacked him hard on the forehead as it fell. He swore loudly and Sir’s ears perked up beside him. 

_ It doesn’t matter, _ he thought. But at least the pain finally brought him to his senses.  _ Whatever....this is _ _....I _ _ need to tell the truth. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this chapter wasn't too boring. Really it's just a built up to NYE which will be the next chapter!
> 
> Also please forgive my shameless headcanons about Allison cutting Neil's hair (I think Nicky does the twins XD ) and how he used to do it himself and looked a mess. Also I might have projected a little of my own feelings about childbirth (good for you guys but not for me!)
> 
> Also I will be updating Sophomore Slump in a bit for anyone who is reading that.


	8. New Year, New Me, New You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late updates recently! I'm in the last few weeks of my quarter at schools so I've had a lot of assignments to get through. But here it is. NYE shenanigans. 
> 
> Alternate title for this chapter: Everyone should appreciate Neil's ass
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T

**December 31st**

New Year's Eve dawned with frigid weather and light snow flurries, the wind strong enough to allow the dust to cover the top of the landing between the apartments. Andrew slipped on an old pair of sneakers, leaving them untied, and knocked with his toe. He carried with him two cups of coffee and the truth on his tongue. All thought effectively joined the cold rush of wind at the sight of Neil opening the door – yawning, hair skewed to one side and eyes not quite open. His pajama bottoms pooled over the tops of bare feet and the ends were fraying. Even with his tanned skin, having lost some of its color in the cooler months, his cheeks were still brushed pink – no doubt remnants of the warm bed he’d left only moments ago. The word ‘adorable’ had never once been a part of Andrew’s vocabulary, but here it was occupying his brain space all the same.

“Morning,” Neil yawned again, standing back a little to allow Andrew room to enter.

Andrew kicked off his shoes and thrust the coffee a little too roughly into Neil’s hands, a few drops escaping over the rim of the mug. Neil muttered a ‘thank you’ but Andrew promptly made himself comfortable on the couch, eyes taking in everything  _ except _ his sleep-rumpled neighbor, who he currently wanted to shove against the wall and kiss senseless. Neil probably wouldn’t mind but the lack of control over his emotions made him feel unhinged so he stifled the urge. 

The cushions dipped under Neil’s weight as he sat down at the opposite end of the couch, leaning his back on the armrest. His toes promptly dug under Andrew’s thighs and Andrew tried not to tense under the pressure. 

For several minutes neither spoke, each sipping their coffee in comfortable silence – only the faint ticking of the wall clock and quiet hum of the heater to keep the company. Andrew was aware that Neil was staring at him, catching him from his peripheral vision ever so often. He waited for Neil to asked about his withdrawal over the last few  days but the question never came. Somehow his silent understanding was infuriating. Andrew had a sarcastic jab on the tip of his tongue, ready to ruin the moment but instead, Neil began to talk about his evening plans. He would be joining his friends for a movie night, a mellow event now that a newborn was involved, though he didn’t seem upset about the change in plans. In turn Andrew tamped down his self-inflicted irritation and  opened up about his own itinerary. After his daily workout he would have to venture out to find a store that was open since Nicky had requested he bring more booze – and he certainly wasn’t going to offer up his own superior stash on virtual strangers and people with no appreciation for good taste. Since most businesses remained closed due to the quarantine and ongoing health crisis, the cousins decided they would ring in the new year at Nicky and Eriks hotel suite. Only a handful of their friends had been invited so it would be a small affair, and honestly Andrew wasn’t looking forward to it. He could tolerate his relatives and their partners but the idea of spending the evening in close quarters with strangers was unappealing. At least a night club provided more  anonymity than a 500  sq ft hotel room. And he was surprised honestly, that Aaron and all of his paranoia was even okay hosting even a small event. 

“Well, if you change your mind, you can always come over and watch the game of thrones marathon with us. No promises Matt won’t cry or scream at the tv but the offer stands...” said Neil. 

Andrew hummed around the lip of his empty mug, sighing heavily as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He glared down at the text – the third in the last hour.

“My dear cousin...” he said with a heavy air of annoyance, “seems to think the stores will run out of liquor.”

Neil chuckled and sat up, putting the mug on the table and leaning forward over his crossed legs. Andrew watched as Neil’s fingers curled around his own ankles. 

“If he’s so worried tell him to go himself...”

“I do not want to spend the entire night drinking something pink.  So, I’ll go purely for the sake of self-preservation,” scowled Andrew, standing and shoving the phone back in his pants. 

Neil nodded his understanding and Andrew started to lean down to swipe the empty mug, but his body diverted halfway through the motion. Drawn like a moth to a candle, his fingers carded through the unruly curls on the top of his head, sliding over and down the back of his neck. Neil closed his eyes and pushed into the motion, dropping his chin to his chest to allow Andrew to press into the short hairs at his nape. He sighed contentedly and Andrew gave an appreciative scratch with his nails over the shorter hairs before pulling away. Removing his hand and replacing Neil’s skin with the cold ceramic mug was probably the hardest thing he would do all day. 

“You can use the treadmill if you want,” offered Andrew, pausing after taking a single step. “It snowed last night.”

Vertebrae cracked when Neil stood, raising his arms over his head to stretch. Andrew turned and was a little disappointed his shirt was too long to ride up over his hip at the motion. 

“It’s okay ....the cold air wakes me up.  Plus, I saw them salting everything last night,” said Neil, not bothering to cover his final yawn. 

Andrew shrugged and continued to the door, “Suit yourself, junkie.”

Neil snorted at the nickname and a cool gust pushed into the apartment when he pulled the door open. 

Andrew paused one last time, this time without turning back. “Thank you. For the gift,” he said, so quiet it was barely audible. 

“ ....You’re welcome,” replied Neil, almost as quietly, and Andrew could imagine the expression of soft  gratitude there that he’d already seen so many times in the last weeks.

With a single nod, Andrew toed across the snow back to his apartment, shoes dragging awkwardly where he hadn’t quiet gotten his feet in them all the way.

“Have fun tonight!” called Neil, sounding more awake now. 

“Yea. You too.”

* * *

The sound of Allison’s Porsche pulling up to the curb greeted Neil as he hopped off the last wooden step and onto the concrete. It was snowing again, heavier this time and he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over  slightly-tamed curls. Before he could duck from under the cover of the building Allison was halfway to him, phone in hand and a pointed  fingernails splayed out to stop him. Neil tilted his head to the side and strained to hear what she was saying.

“Stop apologizing!” Allison said firmly, though she didn’t sound upset. “Yes, it’s fine...honestly! We’ll figure something out, don’t worry about us. Just get some sleep,  okay? Call me when you’re up and I’ll bring over something to eat. Okay. Yes MOM. Bye, babe.”

“Who was that?” asked Neil, though he had a good idea. 

“Change of plans. Maya kept them up all night and they’re just exhausted. So, it looks like it’s just you and me tonight kid,” Allison came to a stop once she was under the alcove, safe from the condensation that threatened her immaculately done hair.

Neil glanced around, shoving his hands into the front of his hoodie. “ So, what now?”

The sound of Allison clicking her nails against her screen drew his eyes downwards. 

“I can check around to see what’s open?” she pondered. 

Neil shook his head. “I don’t know...most places are still  closed and I don’t really want to be around strangers if it’s just the two of us.”

“I guess we could hang out here?” she questioned. “I’ve got a case of wine in the trunk and we could play some games. Maybe get drunk enough to prank call Kevin.”

“We don’t need to be drunk for that,” grinned Neil. 

She ruffled his hair and pushed her keys in his hands. “Now we’re  talkin ’. Go get the wine. If I stand under that white shit any  longer, I’ll melt.”

Neil rolled his eyes but did as she asked, returning with a heavy case in his hands. They carefully climbed the damp steps and when they reached the top Neil told Allison to dig the keys from his pants. She was up to her wrist in his front pocket when the door across the way slammed closed, making her withdraw quickly, prize in hand. 

A three-way staring match ensued and finally Andrew broke the silence, eyes flicking down to the package in Neil’s arms. “You don’t drink.”

Neil shook his head. “No.”

Allison finally seemed to have had enough of the silence and crossed the distance on the platform, delicate hand outstretched towards Andrew. 

“I’m Allison. I’ve heard a lot about you,” she smiled, and Neil huffed with annoyance behind her. She ignored him. 

It took several seconds, Andrew looking from her hand, to Neil, then back.  Finally, he took it and squeezed briefly. “Andrew.”

“Going somewhere?” Allison asked, clearly not letting his single word introduction suffice as a first meeting. 

“Out.”

He certainly appeared to be dressed for a night out. Neil was so used to seeing him in sweats or loose-fitting jeans and plain shirts that it was a little jarring to see Andrew look like something other than a black cloud of irritation. He was still dressed in dark colors – fitted black pants tucked into boots, a tighter charcoal sweater than the ones he usually wore under a black coat that fell to his knees. But overtop of it all he wore a green scarf, curled artfully around his neck. Neil wondered if he were closer and it were less dark if it would bring out the green flecks in his hazel eyes. 

Neil swallowed thickly. “You’re going to the  party right? Have a good time.”

He felt idiotic, repeating something he’d said only hours before. Andrew held his gaze and it took a great feat of strength for Neil to turn away. Allison spun on her heels and fiddled with the keys in her hand, reaching for the door. 

“ So, he gets to go to a  party and I’m stuck with your sober ass all night?” she scoffed. 

“I find your irritation a little hard to believe considering how much you’ve said you _ like  _ my ass over the last seven years...”

“Well it is your most endearing quality...”

“Shut the fuck up and open the door...” Neil sniped. 

Andrew  interrupted their banter, having only managed to lock his door and get down the top step. He was watching them now, one gloved hand on the railing. “You’re not going out?” he asked. 

“Oh...” setting down the box, Neil shook his arms out and left Allison to get the door open, taking a few steps closer to Andrew. “Matt and Dan need some sleep. They’ve been up too long with the baby so Al and I are just going to hang out here.”

Beyond the dimly lit staircase the snowfall  ceased and Andrew drummed his fingers along the railing in an uneven rhythm. His eyes raked up and down Neil and when he spoke his breath game out a puff of frigid white. 

“Find something to wear that makes you look less homeless. I’ll wait in the car,” said Andrew. 

The blond took a few steps past Neil, yanking up the case of wine and then disappeared down the steps without another glance. 

Allison grinned at his back while Neil spent entirely too long looking down at his clothes – a pair of  sweatpants with a paint stain on the thigh, beat up running shoes and a hoodie that was two sizes too big. He looked... _ comfortable _ ...not homeless. He was about to object but Andrew was already down the first flight, the stomp of heavy boots growing more distant below them. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” said Allison, mostly to herself as he got an arm around Neil’s neck in a headlock. 

He grumbled through the whole process but let Allison toss his closet and throw a pair of dark  khaki colored pants at him along with a blue sweater two shades darker than his eyes. He also let her put the gel in his hair he didn’t even know he owned that she once again unearthed from the bottom of the cabinet under his sink.

Ten minutes later the two of them are climbing into the warmth of the Andrew’s Maserati. Allison vanquished him to the back of the car and turned in the seat to survey Andrew as soon as the belt was buckled across her chest. He carefully pulled out onto the snowy street and ignored her prodding for the entirety of the drive. She didn’t seem phased by his silence, only grunting an affirmation once when she complimented the custom interior of the car. Neil watched them from the back, torn between annoyance and amusement, wondering who would crack first. The answer was neither,  and they pulled up to a swanky looking hotel fifteen minutes later without incident. 

It was a quarter after nine when they made it to the suite. Neil and Allison trailed behind Andrew who walked remarkably fast for someone with such short legs. Neil was a little apprehensive about the entire plan. Normally he didn’t do well around strangers – either having what Allison referred to as his ‘resting bastard face ’ or being outright rude. His tact had improved over the years but just barely. Ultimately, his desire to be around Andrew won out over his wariness of Andrew’s family and their friends. 

When they reached the door Andrew shifted the box full of various liquor bottles to his hip to knock. The door opened to quiet laughter from within and Andrew’s twin, Aaron, frowning at the three of them. Andrew tried to push past him but suddenly the other Minyard had an infrared thermometer held to his brothers forehead. 

“If you do not get that out of my face in two seconds, I’m going to make you swallow it.”

Aaron seemed unperturbed, likely used to his  twin's threats of violence, but a few seconds later he pulled it away. Andrew pushed his way inside but when Neil and Allison tried to  follow he glared at them, arm shooting out and hand pressed flat against the door-frame. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked, eyes entirely on Neil. 

Neil fixed him with a flat look and took a step back so he wouldn’t be cross-eyed looking at Aaron. 

“Spreading the good word,” he deadpanned. “Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior  jesus christ ?”

Allison smirked beside him and he thought Aaron might close the door but suddenly Nicky appeared behind him, arms draping over his  cousin's shoulders, clearly tipsy. 

“Oh my god,” shrieked Nicky, turning back to yell inside the suite. “Andrew I can’t believe you brought hot neighbor Neil!”

When Nicky turned back the drink in his hand sloshed wildly and he shook Aaron’s shoulder, “You owe me fifty bucks!”

Aaron managed to shake him off and held up the thermometer, his scowl deepening. “If you have a fever you’re not coming in.”

Allison swiped the thing from his hand, holding it up to herself first, and then Neil, showing Aaron the back in between. 

“Fine,” he huffed, stepping aside to let them in. 

They were guided towards the open kitchen and Neil took in his surroundings. Other than the cousins, there were only a handful of people present. He assumed the tall, bespectacled European man near the bar was Erik, Nicky’s fiancé. Aaron had moved back towards the living room to stand next to a red-headed girl Neil assumed was his wife. There were also what looked like two other couples all clustered together talking, drinks in hand. In the kitchen a woman, just a couple inches taller than Neil was helping Andrew unpack his haul. They were conversing quietly and Andrew actually seemed to be listening. Neil couldn’t hear them but they were pressed together, shoulder to shoulder, setting bottles on the marble counter. The woman looked up when they approached, and Neil slid the box of wine on the countertop to join the rest of the alcohol. 

“I’m Renee,” said the woman, holding out her hand. 

Allison took it first, introducing herself and holding on a little longer than necessary. Neil noticed immediately how Allison's eyes wandered over Renee – from her petite frame and bare muscled arms, to the frilly white collared shirt she wore and the pastel streaks in the ends of white-blonde hair. He knew that look well. 

“Neil,” he said, shaking her hand quickly. 

Andrew arched an eyebrow in his direction, sensing his discomfort. He shrugged and busied himself unpacking the wine. He was aware Nicky was still talking about him. He was speaking to Erik in German and apparently unaware Neil could understand him. His attention was torn, migrating between Allison and Renee, Andrew, and Nicky. When everything was unpacked Renee offered them each a pre-made drink from the counter. Allison took one of the pink concoctions but Renee herself took a can of soda. 

“Can I have one of those?” asked Neil, inclining his head towards the soft drink. 

“Of course,” said Renee.

She pulled an unopened can from the refrigerator behind her and handed it to him. He tapped the top before popping it open. She was still smiling at him and he shrank a little under her gaze. Despite everyone he’d met up until he went to college being a stranger, he had never known how  to genuinely interact with them unless he was playing a role – a false persona. He had never figured out how to make friends on his own and still considered the Foxes a fluke. Andrew too, he guessed. 

Andrew poured himself a glass of straight  whisky and sidled up to Neil. 

“Shall we?” said Renee, gesturing towards the interior of the suite. 

“We shall,” said Allison, who followed Renee. 

When Renee was a few steps ahead she turned her head back and mouthed ‘She’s hot!’ at Neil. He rolled his eyes and turned back to the bar where Andrew was still leaning against it. 

“You don’t want to socialize?” asked Neil. 

Hazel eyes fell on him and blinked once, clearly disinterested in whatever was happening in the living room. 

A few seconds later Nicky said his name again, then something about his ass, and finally Andrew craned his neck back. “He can understand you, idiot.”

Nicky froze and Erik’s eyes went a little wide. Neil turned to face them 

“Squats,” said Neil, his German accent perfect. “I can send you my workout regime if you want.”

Erik laughed, the sound a pleasant rumble. He rubbed Nicky’s shoulder but looked completely delighted at the situation he’d gotten himself into. Nicky on the  other hand went even more red,  embarrassment outshining the alcohol-induced flush on his cheeks. 

“Oh....uh...yea. That’d be great!” he squeaked out. “Now...if you don’t mind, I’m going to use the restroom. And drown myself in the toilet.”

Erik laughed  again and followed Nicky from the kitchen. Neil’s lip twitched upwards and he looked back to Andrew. 

“You didn’t have to embarrass him like that you know,” he said, sounding amused. 

Andrew only shrugged. “He’s always fucking running his mouth. Serves him right.”

Neil stepped closer to Andrew and nudged his shoulder with his own. Andrew nudged back. 

* * *

At some point music began thumping through the suite, loud enough that it might have been concerning if people occupied the adjacent rooms but still  quiet enough to talk over. Eventually Neil followed Andrew into the fold. They wandered into the main room and mingled with the other  party-goers . If you could call silently standing in  close proximity mingling. The strangers were polite enough but didn’t seem interested enough to ask any questions, which Neil was grateful for since the first questions were usually how he got his scars. The only one who seemed to be paying the pair any attention at all was Aaron, who kept shooting his brother suspicious looks and the occasional glower at Neil. 

When Andrew wandered back to the kitchen to refill his glass Renee appeared at his side, having left Allison to get  acquainted with Katelyn, Aaron’s wife. 

“So,” said Renee. “You live next to Andrew. I’m glad he brought you. I’ve wanted to meet you for a while.”

Soda dripped down his throat the wrong way and he swallowed several times to keep from coughing. “Oh uh....he told you about me?”

“Not so much. Which is why I was so interested.”

Neil didn’t know what to make of  that but Allison returned in time to keep him from having to ask. 

“ So, what about you?” asked Allison. “How did you meet the little monster?”

Neil bristled at the nickname. She’d taken to calling him that when Neil would call and complain about their escalating pranks the prior summer. Renee didn’t seem to mind and smiled serenely. 

“In college. We both played soccer for USC at Columbia.”

This revelation seemed to peak  Allison's interest even more. Neil hadn’t told her they were all in South Carolina for college, only an hour apart. 

“Oh?” she said, ruby lips curling upwards. “Neil didn’t tell me you guys were from South Carolina. We went to Palmetto State. Lacrosse. We  actually used to visit Columbia on the weekends sometimes. I wonder if we’ve ever met before?”

“It’s entirely possible.” Renee’s fingers had moved to the small, silver cross around her neck and she slid the pendant along the chain. “Can I get you another drink, Allison?”

In what Neil considered one of her signature flirts, Allison flipped her long curls over her shoulder and reached out to squeeze Renee’s arm. “Yea....you gonna make me something?”

“I don’t drink anymore but I still remember a few things...” 

Neil looked between them, holding his soda can up to his lips to hide his smile. “I’m gonna....go find Andrew.”

He wandered off to leave them. Before he found the smaller blond, Nicky reappeared. He was still drunk but seemed at least to be  making an effort to appear sober. He apologized, hand extending and doing his best to look serious. 

“Do over?” he asked. 

“Sure,” said Neil, shaking his hand. 

Nicky beamed at him and Neil figured he was harmless so he decided to be unbothered about the earlier remarks about his physique – which might have been considered flattering to most people. Nicky wheeled him around to pull him into the conversation in the living room. Katelyn introduced herself with an easy smile. As a show of good faith, Neil held his hand out to Aaron, but the smaller man only looked at it, and then continued talking to Nicky, Ignoring Neil. 

Eventually he made his way back to Andrew, who was sitting on the couch alone. His drink was nearly full. Neil wasn’t sure if it was his second or third drink. He sat down, keeping just a few inches between their thighs. Setting his empty soda on the table, Neil plucked the glass from Andrew’s hands and took a sip. He grimaced and Andrew rolled his eyes, stealing it back.

“Your brother hates me,” said Neil placidly. 

“Reel in your self-importance. He hates everyone,” replied Andrew. “Also, you almost made him go deaf once.”

Neil smirked and took to watching him drink from the corner of his eye

A few minutes later Allison and Renee joined them, giggling about something and pulling out their phones. Nicky and Katelyn came to perch on the ends of the couch and they all started some game on the tv that you could play with your phones. Andrew only tolerated their shouting for half an hour before disappearing. Neil, who didn’t want to appear too clingy, stayed and let Allison show him how to play the game. He didn’t really understand it and was terrible at coming up with ‘quips’ required for other people to give him any points. Near midnight the group broke apart and someone turned the TV to a news station where an obnoxious looking disco ball dangled in the background. 

It was a little strange. For the past seven years Neil had watched the ball drop and there were always throngs of people behind the cameras, bundled up and pressed together in the cold ready to ring in the new year. But with the pandemic spreading across the globe the streets of New York seemed empty and the only cheering on screen came from a handful of celebrities in the television studio. 

He realized he was by himself, the others huddled in the living room and kitchen. Neil stood and Nicky returned to foist champagne on him, filled to the brim in a little plastic flute. He didn’t plan to drink but he’d never had champagne and was curious enough to try it. The group gathered again as the ball dropped. They were all yelling and jumping, Nicky had to suck some of his champagne down to keep from spilling it all. At midnight, a chorus of ‘Happy New Year!’ filled the room and some of the guests blew little noisemakers. And then they were kissing. Everyone was kissing. Nicky and Erik, Katelyn and Aaron, the other couples Neil now knew were called Lily and Ren and Marcus and Sophie. Allison even planted a kiss on Neil’s cheek, turning to do the same on  Renee , leaving  a lip-shaped imprint behind. Neil furiously wiped his away, getting makeup all over his sleeve and Allison ruffled his hair before turning back to Renee, who was watching Allison with bright eyes and didn’t seem to mind the stamp on her cheek at all. 

The large gulp of champagne burned his nose and he coughed a little this time, turning away from all the making out. He thought about hiding out in the bathroom for a little while but on his way there spotted Andrew on the balcony. Neil opened and closed the sliding door, muffling the sound of Allison drunkenly serenading Renee with Auld Land Syne; butchering the lyrics. 

Andrew didn’t turn at the sound, just  continued leaning over the railing, looking at the brightly lit city below. It was quiet except for fireworks booming in the distance, somewhere out of sight. 

He  mirrored Andrew’s pose. “Happy New Year.”

“That seems awful presumptuous of you,” said Andrew, the drawl in his voice just  noticeable enough for Neil to wonder how much he’d had to drink. 

“Are you not? Happy I mean...” asked Neil. 

Andrew tipped back the rest of his  whisky . “Shouldn’t you be in there making resolutions with the rest of them?”

Nicky was currently screaming something about vowing to be more of a ‘switch’ this year, whatever the fuck that meant. Erik slapped a hand over his mouth and Allison howled with laughter, the others joining in, the sound still muffled through the glass. 

Neil turned back and dropped his head to the side, looking down at Andrew’s face, shadowed by the darkness. “Why? Any suggestions?”

Andrew’s mouth twitched as he pondered the question, keeping his stare at the ground. “You could let your friend in there dress you more often. You look like less of a street urchin than usual.”

“Rude,” clicked Neil, but a smile crept onto his features. “Fine. I resolve to...let you take me shopping one day.”   
  
“Why would I want to do that?”

“It’ll give you a reason to stare at my ass. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” Neil shrugged. “You can, you know. I worked my ass off for it. Literally.”

Even from the side Neil could see his features curl into a scowl. “I want to cut your tongue out a good ninety percent of the time...”

Neil grinned. “And the other ten percent?”

Andrew finally straightened, turning to face him. “Still deciding.”

Leaning down, Neil set his empty glass of champagne on the ground and reached out, pausing with his hand next to Andrew’s cheek. Andrew gave a single, barely  noticeable nod and Neil closed the gap. Andrew’s eyes fluttered and he let out a breath that turned to fog as it escaped into the cold air. 

“You’re freezing,” said Neil. 

The glass in Andrew's hand clinked against the railing as he slid it a few feet away, precariously balanced on the  three-inch-wide metal. He reached out and trailed a finger along Neil’s waist, following the hem of his pants under his sweater until it found a belt loop. Then he tugged  lightly and Neil stepped forward. Andrew’s other hand cupped Neil’s shoulder before gliding smoothly down his arm, squeezing at his wrist. Neil brought the hand up to cup Andrew’s other cheek. It wasn’t until their lips were nearly touching that Andrew  whispered “Then warm me up.”

Neil leaned down to kiss him, one hand sliding along Andrews jaw and behind his neck. Andrew shuddered at the sudden warmth and tugged their hips together, letting Neil tilt his head back. Letting himself get lost in the feel of it. The air between them puffed white and the grip Andrew had on Neil’s hips was nearly bruising, but it didn’t matter. They kissed until Andrew couldn’t feel the cold. Until Neil’s fingers were buried in blond hair and the flush on their cheeks had nothing more to do with the wintery air. At some point snow started to fall again. Neil slid his tongue along Andrew’s and Andrew caught Neil’s lips between his teeth, pulling until Neil let out a little sound that Andrew memorized if only to make him do it again. Andrew dragged his lips down and kissed several melting flakes from Neil’s jaw, chin, just below his ear before finding his mouth again. Time momentarily stilled and the snow encased them in their own private bubble, quiet except for quickened breath and the rustle of clothing. 

The wet suction of their lips pulling away from each other, on the other hand, was loud in the quiet night. Almost louder than the banging on the glass. Allison was there, grinning, and being pulled back by Renee’s arm around her waist, who was trying to keep a smile at bay and mouthing apologies, no doubt for letting Allison interrupt them. The others inside turned at the sound and their expressions ranged from confused (Erik and the others) to ecstatic (Nicky) and annoyed (Aaron). Neil took a small step back and Andrew shifted back to lean over the railing again, reaching for the  whisky . Neil dropped his head back on his shoulders and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. 

“Ugh. How much alcohol do we have left?”

“You don’t drink,” Andrew reminded him. 

“No. But I’m going to force feed it to Allison until she doesn’t remember what she just saw so I don’t have to put up with her interrogation tomorrow.” 

“That sounds like a lot of effort. There are other ways to keep people silent.”

Neil leaned sidelong onto the rail, tipping his head to the side to look at Andrew. “Yea? Like what?”

Andrew pulled a small knife out from under the sleeve of his sweater. Auburn brows dipped under his bangs as Neil watched the metal glint under the porch-light.

“I’m not going to stab her, Andrew.”

He pushed it back in. “Suit yourself.”

Neil allowed himself a small chuckle and worked up the courage to go inside. “You coming?”

“In a minute.” 

Neil hesitated but then leaned down, swiping the plastic flute from the group. When he stood, he kissed Andrew on the cheek. “Happy new year asshole.” 

Andrew waited until Neil was gone to let his features draw into a small, rare smile, an expression he didn’t even know he  was capable of making anymore.    
  
“Maybe it will be,” he murmured. 

* * *

Andrew and Neil spent the rest of the night dodging questions and pretending the curious stares weren’t directed at them. Finally, Neils loud  _ “I’m not going to talk to you about Andrew!” _ to Allison had everyone sufficiently shutting their mouths about it. By the time they left Allison was sloshed, but in a good mood as she flirted sloppily with Renee, who helped drag her down to the car. Andrew was tipsy but still coherent and he pushed his keys into Neil's hand when they got to the car. Renee gave him an appraising look when he climbed into the driver seat that Andrew noticed and he rolled his eyes, muttering for her to “shut up” even though she hadn't said a word. Allison passed out promptly and Neil got them home in twenty minutes. It looked like it had snowed more but the roads were so empty that navigating them wasn’t difficult. 

When he parked along the curb, Andrew suggested they just leave Allison. Despite the seriousness of his tone he still helped haul her up the stairs when Neil struggled to pull her out of the car by himself. She was conscious enough to stumble but still nearly dead weight. It also didn’t help that she was wearing three-inch heels and they were both considerably shorter, so it made holding her up quite the feat. By the time they made it up all three flights and to Neil’s door, she was at least awake enough to hurtle towards the bathroom to throw up. Andrew took that as his cue to leave and went to his own apartment without a word. Neil held back  Allison's hair until she finished emptying her stomach of Nicky’s pink cocktails. Afterwards she went to her bag to get her toothbrush. Ten minutes later Neil found her sprawled across his bed, wearing one of his loose t-shirts and panties that exposed half of her evenly tanned ass. He was a little annoyed because she had collapsed in the middle of the mattress, which meant he was going to end up on the couch. 

Finishing his own bedtime routine, Neil tossed the comforter over Allison and grabbed a pillow to carry to the couch. He stared at the lumpy cushions for a good five minutes before walking onto the landing. Neil knocked quietly and surprisingly Andrew answered about thirty seconds later, bleary eyed and dressed for bed. 

“Allison stole my bed,” he griped, chewing his lip and trying to heave a sigh that just came out as a yawn. 

Andrew stepped back to let him in. They walked to the bedroom together in silence, Andrew leaving the door cracked for the cats which were presently hiding. Neil made himself small on the outer edge of the double  bed but Andrew seemed to have other ideas and pulled him in closer. He man-handled Neil under the covers; Andrew rolled him over so he could slot their bodies together, shoving his cold feet under Neil's calves and one cold hand under the pillow they now shared, the other snaking up Neil's shirt to splay on his abdomen. The cold was enough to make him hiss but his body tensed for another reason. He had been too self-conscious to show Andrew his scars and knew he’d be able to feel them now. If he did, he didn’t acknowledge it. Only burrowed closer until Neil went still, whispering something that sounded like ‘ _ don’t move _ ’ on the back of Neil’s neck, his breathing evening out as the warmth leeched from Neil's body into Andrews. 

Neil lay there for more than an hour, hyper aware of the feel of Andrew behind him, of the knuckles now pressed limp against his abdomen. But he wasn’t awake because he was anxious or uncomfortable. He was awake because the feeling was so foreign. He felt warm and heavy, like baked bread left to rest on the counter after coming out of the oven. He felt...content. The cats eventually curled up at their feet and Neil fell asleep to the sound of deep breathing and pillows that smelled like Andrew.  _ Happy New Year.... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are at least 3-4 references to Neil's booty in this chapter and I'm not sorry about that -at all-.
> 
> Also I apologize for any errors. My stuff isn't beta read so usually I edit by just re-reading stuff a dozen times, but I only went through this one once.


	9. To Date or Not to Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Allison cock-blocks Neil. 
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: M - For a little spice.

** January 1 ** ** st **

At some point during the night they separated. The next time Neil woke it was with a yawn and he rolled onto his back, momentarily forgetting he wasn’t in his own bed. His shoulder touched something solid mid-turn and his breath left his lungs in a gust as the wind was knocked out of him. Andrew’s fist had collided with his back next to his spine and it throbbed painfully. He reached back to put pressure on the aching muscle and Andrew’s hand joined his own, ghosting over the back of his scarred hand and then  laying flat against it with gentle pressure. Neil rolled slowly, careful to stay on his side of the bed, to be greeted with the apologetic frown on Andrew’s lips, his eyes a little too wide for someone who had just woken. 

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to touch you,” murmured Neil. 

Andrew withdrew his hand when Neil rolled the rest of the way. “It was an accident.”

He wasn’t sure if Andrew meant hitting him was an accident or that Neil rolling into him  was; either way, the sentiment was the same. 

Neil rubbed his back a few more seconds before bringing his hands to rest on the mattress between them. They watched each other carefully, both looking for some sort of irritation and neither finding it. Andrew offered no apologies but reached out to brush back Neil’s hair that had fallen in a tangled mess on his forehead. Neil closed his eyes and sighed quietly, the pain only a dull throb now and nothing compared to the warmth of Andrew’s hand on his skin. When Andrew’s thumb brushed over the burn scar and lingered there, Neil opened his eyes. 

“Lola,” he whispered. 

“What?”

He swallowed hard. “ My dads ....associate . She did this to me.”

Hazel eyes flashed with something Neil couldn’t identify before Andrew schooled his expression to one of indifference. 

“You don’t have to...”

“...It’s okay,” said Neil, his pulse thrumming rapidly and egging him on. “I think you need to know something. About me. About my past.”

It was a perfect opportunity for Andrew to come clean. Instead he dropped his hand down to Neil’s neck and drummed his index finger to the beat of Neil’s heart. “It’s in the past. I don’t need to know.”

Inside, Andrews conscious boiled up to the surface, screaming to tell the truth, to let Neil tell the truth. But somehow that seemed worse – letting Neil admit to everything Andrew already knew for months so Andrew could pretend like he hadn’t. It seemed like a lie.

“It might change your mind about me,” Neil admitted, twisting his hand around to curl lightly around Andrew’s wrist. “It might change your mind about this.” 

He squeezed Andrew’s wrist, thumb pressing into the heel of his palm. 

The autopilot in Andrew’s brain automatically supplied ‘ _ there is no this _ ,’ but somehow, he over-rode the  thought and  whispered “Your past is irrelevant to this.”

Neil’s breath hitched and Andrew leaned forward, catching the exhale between his own lips. 

Neil forgot about the terrors of his past the moment Andrew rolled on top of him, pressing him into the mattress with warm lips and warm hands and a tickle of blond hair against his forehead. He opened his mouth at the first prod of Andrew’s tongue and groaned into the sensation; wet and sliding and smooth. He sucked Andrew’s tongue into his mouth, gasping when Andrew’s hips ground down against his own. Andrew was hard against him and Neil curled his fingers into his palms, letting Andrew hold them down. The next time Andrew pressed down Neil pressed up, his ankle starting to snake its way up Andrew’s calf to hook around his knee, keeping them melded together. Andrew let go of one wrist and got a hold of Neil’s jaw, pushing his chin back and ripping away his lips to drag teeth along Neil’s throat. Neil groaned and rolled his hips again, this time edging on desperation. 

Just as Andrew released his other wrist and Neil was finally able to grip Andrew’s golden head like a lifeline, there was a knock at the door to the apartment.

They both stilled, heads turning to the side to try and figure out if they’d imagined the sound. But there was another series of knocks, much louder this time. Neil thrust upwards gently, decided he didn’t really care who was at the door, but Andrew stopped the movement with a hand on his hip, clearly trying to decide what to do. 

This time the third round of knocking was accompanied by a muffled “Neil Josten I cannot believe you left me to go get laid!”

Neil let out another groan, a decidedly less appealing sound than the one before, and Andrew rolled off him with a sigh. Neil took a moment to press the heels of his hands into his eyes, counting to ten in three languages, willing his body to calm down. Willing the rage to subside so that when he had a discussion with Allison about ruining his morning  later, he wouldn’t blow up at her. 

“ Neil I know you’re in there your running shoes are still by the door!”

He dropped his hands and looked over at Andrew who was staring at the ceiling, looking entirely too put together. Enough that it pissed Neil off a little. 

“Sorry...I should...” Andrew  nodded and Neil begrudgingly climbed out of the bed. 

He paused by the door. “I told Al  I'd go with her to Dans and Matt’s today. Can we hang out tomorrow?”

Andrew put his hands under his head but gave a nod and Neil left the room, leaving the cats to take his place on the bed. Andrew heard him yell “I’m fucking coming!” before yanking the door open with a loud squeak. He also heard  Allison's quieter “I hope not” and her cackle that followed. “Shouldn’t you be hungover...” the door  slammed and he missed any of the rest of the conversation.  _ Well....cold shower it is.... _

* * *

** January 4th **

Despite Neils baffling desire to hang out with Andrew again so soon (since they’d seen each other more in the last few weeks than they had in the months since Neil moves in), it didn’t happen the next day. Nor the day after. Or the day after that. Randy Boyd returned to town to spend time with Dan and Matt  and to get to know her new granddaughter. And with Allison back in NYC, they’d called Neil to help run interference. Mostly it meant he spent his time trying to distract Randy whenever she tried to give Dan and Matt unsolicited parenting tips since being exhausted and covered in bodily fluids made them both short-fused. 

On the other side of town, Andrew spent his free time with his brother and cousin after a lot of whining (from Nicky) and badgering (from Aaron) that he should be more social. Nicky only had a few more days in town before he would head back to Germany with Erik. Andrew eased through the hours by texting Neil constantly.

**_ Andrew  _ ** [Stores are opening again  as long as there are ten people or less inside. Nicky just bought $600 worth of clothes.  All of the items he purchased are a shade of purple. I hate everything.]

**_ Blue-eyed Bastard Neil _ ** [I agreed to arm wrestle Randy to keep her from giving Dan breast feeding advice. I think she broke my arm.]

**_ Andrew _ ** [Good thing you only need your legs] 

**_ Blue-eyed Bastard Neil  _ ** [I don’t know, my hands are attached to my arms and you seem to like those.] 

Several minutes later. 

**_ Andrew _ ** [Go put some ice on your arm. Idiot] 

Neil grinned from his place at the kitchen table but promptly wiped the expression from his face when he heard Matt stage whispering to Dan  _ “Look, he’s texting his  _ boyfriend  _ again _ ”. Neil flipped them off as they guffawed and headed for the freezer. 

One good thing that came out of their time apart was that businesses slowly started re-opening because a vaccine had been developed for the new strain of the virus. Neil went with Matt and Dan on the 3 rd to their follow up appointment at the hospital since they’d been having a hard time getting Maya to eat. They all got vaccinated at the suggestion of the doctor and Neil took a picture of the Captain America  bandaid on his arm and sent it to Andrew, who responded [I would have preferred the Hulk]. Andrew also assured him he would be getting vaccinated the following Wednesday when they started rolling the vaccines out to pharmacies since he refused to go to a doctors office for it. 

The weekend arrived and even through all their texting they hadn’t re-approached the topic from new years. Neil hadn’t elaborated more on his past and Andrew hadn’t admitted to knowing it already. Nor did Andrew admit to the near panic attack he’d had when he woke up, sober, with Neil in his bed where Andrew had curled around him like a koala. At this point he’d broken so many of his own rules in the past three weeks he might as well burn the whole book. 

So, when Neil suggested they go out that Saturday night Andrew decided he needed to come clean. Finally.  _ No really _ , he was going to do it this time. After a discussion with his old shrink over skype, Andrew admitted to her that keeping the secret was bothering him and she confirmed what he already knew. Bee already knew something was bothering him to begin with; she had gotten far too good at reading him over the years. She suggested he come clean and Andrew agreed. Neil would be upset or he would be grateful for not having to say the words himself. But either way Andrew needed him to know that he already knew most of his sordid past and wanted him anyways. Because at the very least, by the end of his conversation with Bee, he knew he wanted Neil. In what way he had yet to figure out. Did he just want a friend? A fuck buddy who he sometimes let stay the night and veg out on his couch with his cats? A truce with his neighbor? Or did he want something more than that? 

Relationships were a foreign concept to Andrew. In his younger years he’d tried to forge them too quickly with foster parents and siblings and always ended up disappointed. Sometimes tragically so. By the time he met Aaron and Nicky, he knew he wanted to protect his family – boys who were maybe not as broken as he was but damaged in their own ways. But it had taken  _ years _ to admit to himself that he wanted a relationship with them for his own sake as well. For once in his life, he wanted someone there who wouldn’t walk away. Who wouldn’t leave him  behind. Wanting that from Neil was ridiculous and dangerous. I mean the guy spent half of his life on the run.  _ Actually running _ . Expecting him to stick around was incredulous. In six-months they would graduate and go their separate  ways and this would have all been some sort of pipe dream. But that didn’t stop Andrews traitorous heart from  _ wanting.  _

It was nearing five o’clock when Neil showed up at his apartment wearing dark blue jeans and a maroon sweater, both of which looked new. Andrew subsequently gave himself a once over, dragging eyes down his stretched-out band shirt and sweatpants and realized he was apparently under-dressed for their planned outing. 

He let Neil in and went to change into a pair of black jeans and matching sweater. Their black coats were nearly identical, but Andrew pretended not to notice. Andrew drove but let Neil navigate them to their destination. Minimal arguing ensued since Neil tended to tell him where to turn at the very last second. They parked along the street a block away and raced the icy wind towards a brightly lit restaurant on the corner. There were several small groups clustered outside waiting, but Neil led them to the door and they went in without waiting. All of the restaurant staff were wearing surgical masks and Andrew could practically hear Aaron scolding him for not wearing the fabric mask Katelyn had sewed for him. In his mind he argued with his Aaron-sounding-conscious that he would never be caught dead wearing such a hideous thing. 

Inside there were only a few other tables occupied, each in a different corner of the small eatery. It was called ‘Poor Calvins’ and despite having lived in Atlanta for years, and survived mostly on take-out during his gap year, Andrew had never heard of the place. Neil seemed to have been here before though. He made suggestions while pointing at the colorful menu Andrew held aloft and didn’t bother looking at his own. At Andrew’s questioning glance he supplied “Dan really likes this place.”

While Andrew had never met the elusive Danielle Wilds that Neil talked about so much, she seemed to have good taste in food. Andrew only ended up with a small to-go container and that was so he could order dessert. Neil snatched the menu away when he tried to order more than one, citing they still had one more stop to make before they went home so Andrew had to settle for scowling at him over a plate of beignets. When they were ready to leave a short argument, which mostly just consisted of a lot of glaring and snatching the receipt back and forth, ensued while they bickered over who would pay. Andrew had never been on a date before, if that’s what this was, but he assumed he should do the nice thing and pay for the meal since Neil had done the planning. Eventually they decided to split the thing since their waitress was starting to hover, undoubtedly waiting for them to leave so they could clear the table and usher in the next group. 

From the restaurant they walked another few  blocks in the cold, passing the Maserati, and Neil poked fun at how Andrews cheeks had gone pink on his pale skin. He rucked his scarf up higher to keep from blushing and making it worse, hip checking Neil into a bush for good measure. The  red-head laughed, which did nothing to dull the heat creeping up Andrew’s neck and he internally scolded himself on making his own plan backfire. 

When they reached their next destination, it had a similar line out front that they once again bypassed. Andrew sent Neil a questioning look but he just shrugged and muttered “I made reservations,” although Andrew was pretty sure he saw Neil hand a significant wad of money to the  stores owner when they entered. 

Their second destination was a dessert bar called Bittersweet. All they sold was alcohol and dessert. And alcoholic desserts. Andrew’s eyes had gone saucer wide for a brief moment upon entering but quickly faded to pinpricks as he looked at the menu. It only took about thirty seconds decide before ordering three drinks and four desserts despite already being full. 

Once again, there were only a few people in the bar and after ordering, the pair had been secluded in the corner at a small table barely big enough to hold all of Andrew’s sugary-sweet confections. Neil nursed a single drink – coffee with a shot of bourbon and single dessert tart while Andrew made inroads to  all of his  in record time. Neil watched him with an amused smile and they remained quiet except for Neil  occasionally stealing a bit of Andrew’s treats; which would lead to him making a face; which would lead to Andrew rolling his eyes and sniping a comment about Neil having the taste buds of seventy-five year old white man from the 1940’s when they used to boil everything. At nine o’clock Neil  excused himself to the restroom and Andrew swiped the check, taking it up to the bar to pay and order one more dessert to take home. He reasoned that he could take it to Nicky as a going away gift but knew he would end up eating it himself. It was the thought that counted.

Snow flurries began on the walk back to the car, if you could even call it snow. New  Years had been a fluke, an inch of the powdery dust packing the ground and coating the world in white. Now it just melted on contact and created cold, wet slush on the roads. Andrew shoved his keys in Neil's pocket as they got closer. He was still  sober but he was also very full and didn’t know how much alcohol he’d  actually consumed . Neil drove them back without question and they retired to the warmth of Andrews apartment.

The ends of Neil’s jeans were soaked so he borrowed a pair of sweatpants rather than go retrieve a pair of his own, and even Andrew changed into something more comfortable. By  ten , they were curled up on the couch with the cats, a movie playing idly in the background. Neil sat against one  end so Andrew laid down with his head on Neil's thigh, complaining about his stomach hurting. Neil huffed a laughed and quipped “I wonder why?” earning him a pinch to his ankle. When Andrew curled his arm around  Neil’s calf , Neil let his fingers card through Andrews hair in lazy, repetitive motions. He watched the  blonds eyes flutter every few minutes and twitch himself awake when he started to nod off. They fell into bed that night, exhausted but content. Neil could still feel the ghost of a bruise on his back from the last time they fell asleep together, but he still dragged Andrew’s arm around his middle and held him in place until Andrew’s body went slack and he pressed a kiss to the base of Neil’s neck. He smiled as he fell asleep. His first date with Andrew had been, somehow, an overwhelming success. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Allison’s face the next day for their skype call when he told her she owed him fifty bucks.

* * *

**January 5th**

The morning after their first date, Neil woke to Andrew staring at him; though he closed his eyes quickly once he realized he’d been caught. Neil rolled his own and climbed out of bed to use the bathroom. After using the facilities, the new orange toothbrush in the holder caught his eye. With a smirk, he picked up the little stick and brushed his teeth, recalling Andrew’s  _ “I don’t do morning breath” _ comment from the day before when Neil had seen the groceries on the counter before he’d put them away. 

Gentle knocking made him pause his teeth-brushing and he reached to pull the door open. Andrew was still sleep-addled and adorably rumpled, his hair sticking up on one side and pillow creases on his cheek. He brushed past Neil without looking at him and lifted the lid on the toilet to relieve himself. Neil moved aside for him to wash his hands and was just spitting in the sink when Andrew picked up his own toothbrush. It was peaceful really; going about mundane activities together. Normal. 

Not wanting to leave Andrew’s side just yet, Neil reached for a clean hand-towel from the stack and took his time washing his face. Every few seconds Andrew’s shoulder would bump his own and he could feel the warmth radiating off the other man, who always seemed to run a little hot. 

While his face was buried in the wet cloth the shower cut on and Neil quickly finished up, making to toss the towel in the hamper and let Andrew get ready for the day. But as he reached for the door Andrew caught his wrist. 

“You coming?” he asked, expression placid.

Neil watched in surprise as Andrew let go of him to strip down to his boxer briefs. He climbed into the shower and left the curtain half-way open in invitation, stepping under the hot spray. Neil was chewing his bottom lip to shreds when Andrew eyes cracked open, head tipped back to look at him and rivulets of water racing down his temples and cheeks. 

“You don’t have to,” he said, with a little more inflection this time, so Neil knew he wouldn’t be upset if left. 

Neil contemplated his decision. He wanted to. He  _ really _ wanted to. 

His fingers trembled slightly as he pushed the sweatpants down without reservation and then hovered over the elastic of his underwear before pushing those down too. Neil stepped in behind Andrew still wearing the white undershirt he’d worn beneath his sweater the night before and Andrew turned to face him, eyes flicking to the shirt rather than Neils exposed crotch. 

“My arms and my face aren’t the only place I have scars...” Neil said quietly. 

Andrew took a step forward and slid his hand up the hem just a little; Neil tensed but didn’t say no.

Andrew tilted his head. “Is it a no?” 

Neil shook his head slowly, expelling a shaky breath. “It’s a yes...”

Sliding his hand up higher, Andrew dragged his fingers along Neil’s chest, but even when his shirt pushed up over  Andrew’s arm he kept his eyes locked on blue. Neil reached and pulled Andrew in by his neck, crashing their lips together. Soon it was swollen lips and battling tongues and fingers sized bruises being pressed into skin. Steam seemed to rise as the temperature rose between them and Andrew pressed Neil against the wall. Neil pushed him back a little and grabbed the back of his shirt, hesitating for a moment, and then yanking it over his head. It landed with a wet ‘slap’ on the tile outside the tub. Andrew remained a few inches away to take in the exposed skin – a ruined landscape of awful memories. Pale fingers pressed against a triangle shaped scar at Neil’s shoulder. 

“My father...” Neil offered, “An iron.”

Andrew leaned forward,  still keeping their bodies apart and kissed a line down the scar, his touch so light it tickled. Then his fingers moved to a pucker just a hand’s  breadth away. 

“A bullet.” 

Once again, Andrew replaced his fingers with his mouth. Then his hand dragged along the shapeless whitened skin that went from Neil’s collar, across his chest to the other side of his hip. 

“Jumped out of a moving car.” 

Andrew nodded and followed the line with his lips and tongue until he was on his knees. He bit at Neil’s hip before dragging his tongue where Neil most wanted it to be. 

Andrew’s hand worked him quickly and his mouth sank over Neil's length, moving slowly. Neil watched for as long as he could and then screwed up his eyes and dropped his head back against the wet tile, fingers tugging at Andrew’s hair in encouragement but never touching anywhere else. Andrew let go of him with his hand and used both to press Neil’s hips back to the wall, pinning him in place, his mouth bobbing faster. When his moans devolved to nothing but breaths coming in quick pants, Andrew suddenly sat up and swallowed the desperate sounds from his mouth in a heady kiss. He couldn’t see it, but could feel Andrew shoving down his briefs, lining his cock against Neils and pressing them together. Neil groaned loudly into his mouth and Andrew grunted at the sound. Then his hand closed around them and they both pressed upwards, their motions in sync. When the friction wasn’t enough, Andrew used his free hand to get an iron grip on Neil’s shoulder, holding him still. He thrust against Neil, his movements sharp and Neil bit his last moan into Andrew’s neck. Neil broke first, sucking in a breath and holding it until it came out as a muffled sound against wet skin, eyes squeezed shut. Andrew followed with only a string of muttered  expletives . When Neil heard his  name he pulled his head from the crook of Andrew’s neck and leaned into kiss that nearly  bruised his lips. It was minutes before Andrew let them go, before he pulled away and dropped his head onto Neil’s shoulder. When his eyes opened and flicked  down he saw Andrew holding his messy hand under the spray. He intentionally didn’t meet Neil’s eyes and when his body followed under the spray he whispered “ _ Go. _ ”

Neil complied, getting out without another word and quickly toweled off. Just as he was closing the door Neil heard the tell-tale ‘smack’ that mean Andrew’s briefs had joined Neil’s shirt on the floor. 

* * *

Water pooled a little at Neil’s feet as he stood a few paces away from the door, hearing the lock ‘click’ seconds after the shower cut off. He tried not to take the dismissal personally. From what he knew about Andrew, this was new  territory for him as well and Neil figured he needed time to process everything. Neil would probably be in some sort of panic too if his body didn’t still feel like a bowl of warm  jell-o , his head – remarkably empty of thought  at the moment . If he was  over-thinking he would probably be pondering his reasoning behind showing  Andrew his scars – telling him how he got them. 

The only other time he’d exposed so much of himself had been during his junior year in college. One of the  freshman had burn scars over a good portion of his body and several of the other underclassman poked fun at him for it. Neil changed out once in the locker room in solidarity, shocking his teammates – even the ones he’d known for years. Matt and Kevin knew they were there but had still flinched at the sight of them. And no one had ever touched them unless it was a doctor or nurse treating him for injuries. Even Allison and Kevin hadn’t made it under his clothes. But Andrew saw them all, and Andrew hadn’t flinched. He touched them like they were just any part of Neil. Parts that made him who he was. 

But they were also what made him Nathaniel  Wesninski , the son of the Butcher, and the fact that he still hadn’t told Andrew about the most crucial part of his past, a past which all of his closest friends knew, was starting to nag at him. He’d never willingly told anyone who he was, not really. Not even Matt. His former team found out around the same time as the rest of the world – when he disappeared from one of their games and turned up a day later in the hospital, his father dead and his body broken. After it hit the news everyone knew. Over the years Neil had done his best to put it behind him. To carve a new life himself as Neil Josten, operating behind the scenes, unknown and unseen to all but a select few. He wasn’t sure  _ why _ he wanted Andrew to know. A small part of him thought if Andrew knew the truth he would leave and then Neil would be free again. He wanted what they had. Liked what they had. But he didn’t want to keep letting Andrew in only for him to walk away when he decided he couldn’t deal with Neil's past. Which anyone in their right mind would probably do. It would be easier to walk away from it now. 

_ No _ , Neil shook his head, water flying in every direction as the cats scrambled to avoid the spray.  _ Andrew wouldn’t do that _ . Andrew had seen his scars, heard Neil's truth, the ones he’d given him  at least, and hadn’t even flinched.  _ Andrew won’t walk away.  _

With great effort he buried his thoughts and went into the bedroom to borrow another change of clothes, forcing himself to think about Andrew’s hands on him instead of some hypothetical Andrew who was already tired of him. 

Half an hour later the door to the bathroom remained closed so Neil wrote a short note and left it on the pillow.  _ “Dinner with Matt and Dan tonight but I’ll text you. Have a good day.” _

With a last scratch behind King’s ear, Neil headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Just two more chapters and an epilogue to go. 
> 
> I can't decide if Allison would reasonably let Neil get laid or if she would cock-block him because she requires ALL of the attention. 
> 
> ALSO random notes: Poor Calvins is actually a restaurant in Atlanta and it is amazing. Also Bittersweet is a real, magical place, and it's in downtown Raleigh, NC. =)


	10. Down with the sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN. The virus catches up and a good old fashioned sicfic ensues. 
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T (vague descriptions of basic medical procedures/Neil verging on a panic attack)

January 10 th

Five days had passed since Neil last saw Andrew. 

When he texted him the night after their date Andrew told him he would be going to Columbia with Nicky, Erik and Aaron the following day. Nicky would be leaving on the 8 th and they wanted to get some work done on the house they owned together before they rented it to new  tenants . Their texts remained casual over the separation, Neil sending a photo of Maya holding his finger; Andrew sending a selfie of himself in a yellow and purple floral face mask with a smug looking Aaron in the background and rabbit ears over his head that likely belonged to Nicky. 

By the 8 th Andrew’s texts were fewer and Neil’s began to go unanswered. When Neil returned home from a shift at the coffee shop, which had opened back up, Andrew’s car was back. He knocked on the door several times but after not getting an answer decided to send another text. Andrew responded quickly with a curt ‘out - be back later’. 

By the 9 th , all of Neil’s texts were white noise and again no one answered at the door, even though the Maserati remained unmoved on the curb. One the morning of the 10 th , Neil woke with scowl and the temper to match, deciding he was tired of being ghosted. He wanted more than anything to give Andrew the space he needed but wasn’t sure if his ego could take being discarded for  days every time they drifted over turbulent waters. So, when he returned to Andrew’s apartment after a hasty breakfast, he pounded on the door this time, shouting for Andrew to “Open the hell up!”

With his fuse short enough to catch fire, he only decided to wait five minutes before pulling the lock picks from his pocket. He pushed the door open with a soft creak and called “Andrew! I’m coming in...”

It only took seconds for Neil to realize something was wrong. The apartment was a mess. At his feet, the cats meowed nosily and curled around his legs, vying for attention. Half empty mugs and plates littered the coffee table and the kitchen was a mess. On the tile, one of the  cats bowls was overturned, both empty with only a few teaspoons of liquid at the bottom of the water dish. 

Stalking over to the bedroom, Neil pushed the door open quietly with a worried “Andrew...” spilling from his tongue. 

He flipped the light switch at the same moment Andrew’s croaked a small “Neil..?” from the bed, immediately followed by a hacking cough. 

Neil crossed the room in three wide steps, his hand flying to Andrew’s damp forehead. His pale skin was slick with sweat even though he was just wearing his underwear and all the covers had been kicked to the side. When Neil touched him, he could feel the red, clammy skin under his palm and Andrew tried to turn his head away from the touch in a delayed reaction. 

“‘Andrew...oh my god...you’re...how long have you been like this?”

Andrew managed to push himself up on his elbows before falling back again, letting an arm drape over his forehead to block out the overhead light. 

“Couple days...get out of here.”

He sounded like he hadn’t had water in days even though there was full bottle on the end table.

“What? No. ..you’re sick,  you.. ” 

“Get out before you catch it,” said Andrew, sending him into another coughing fit. 

Neil ignored him entirely and swiped the bottle from the table, twisting off the top and holding it to  Andrew’s lips. He weakly tried to bat it away but presumably didn’t have the strength to keep up the fight because he took it after a few more prods. 

“ Neil.. ” 

Neil placed the bottle back on the table, still entirely too full and put his hand back on Andrew’s head. “Andrew you’re burning up...’ 

“Astute observation doctor dumbass,” wheezed Andrew, his insult cut off when he coughs again.

Neil’s lip almost cracked upwards but his heart was hammering in his chest with worry. “Great, so you’re probably dying but you still have time to be a dick...”

Andrew closed his eyes and weakly swatted towards Neil again. “...s’just a cold.”

Resisting the urge to smack the infuriating blond, Neil carried himself to the kitchen to retrieve the first aid kit – the same one Andrew had used on him to bandage his hand weeks ago. He grabbed the thermometer and a clean cloth, soaking it in cold water. Wringing out the excess water, Neil carefully placed it over Andrew’s head, pushing his arm out of the way, and slipped the thermometer between his lips. He couldn’t see Andrew’s eyes but from the way his red nose scrunched at the intrusion, knew he was on the receiving end of a lethal death glare. 

The thermometer beeped a few seconds later and for a moment Neil thought it might be broken. He considered trying again but given the state of Andrew, knew it was accurate. 103.4. Neil wasn’t a doctor, and honestly hadn’t been sick too many times in his life – most of his health problems were related to injuries – but even he knew a fever that high wasn’t good. 

“Oh god...um. Andrew. You need to go to the hospital. I can take you...or I could call an ambulance...” sputtered Neil, dropping the device on the floor. 

He was just about to dig his phone from his pocket when Andrew’s hand shot up to snatch his wrist, his grip weak. “No hospitals...”

“But...”

“I said no,” Andrew said firmly, followed by another cough. 

With the phone in his hand it would have been easy to ignore Andrew. For all Neil knew he was delusional from the fever. But something in him knew better. Knew how important it was to respect Andrew’s wishes. 

With one last squeeze Neil dropped the phone on the bed and Andrew let go, his hand going limp at his side. 

“Didn’t you get your vaccine?” asked Neil, worry carrying through clearly in his tone now. 

The meager movement of Andrew’s head suggested ‘no ’ but it was hard to tell. Finally. he said “Went on the 8th...had a fever. They wouldn’t do it.”

Neil had to lean down to hear him and his fingers fisted in the damp sheets as he sat down. “When’s the last time you ate something?”

It takes more than a minute for Andrew to answer this time. “Dunno. Threw up yesterday...I think yesterday...”

Neil laid his hand over the cloth and Andrew didn’t even seem to notice. “I know you don’t want to go to the doctor but Andrew...I’m pretty sure you have that flu virus. People are dying from it. Healthy people. I think you should really go.”

“No...I...be fine. Just need to sleep.” Neil fidgeted in place.

He wanted to honor Andrews wishes but at the same time he didn’t want anything to happen to him. According to everything he’d read there wasn’t much they could do except treat the symptoms. Neil reluctantly left Andrew’s side long enough to ransack the kitchen and medicine cabinet in the bathroom. He found a few basic pain killers and cold medicines – one bottle of cough medicine was empty in the trash bin next to the toilet. After deciding what Andrew had was inadequate, Neil went back to his own apartment. He packed a small bag with a change of clothes, his laptop, and a six pack of  pedialyte (Kevin recommended it for rehydrating after physical activity and it had done wonders since his move to humid Atlanta). He also grabbed a bottle of nearly full Tylenol 3, something they’d given him for an ankle sprain the year  prior, but he’d decided to just power through without the medication. 

Andrew was nearly dead-weight but Neil somehow managed to prop him up on a stack of pillows enough for a good angle to swallow foul tasting medication. He also managed to get him to drink a little more. After replacing the towel for a clean one Neil finally agreed to give Andrew some time for the medication to work. He took to Andrew’s apartment with the full force of a professional maid service, all wrapped up in one anxiety filled redhead. Unfortunately, his nervous energy meant that he powered through the tasks in quick order and it only took an hour to feed the cats, clean the living room and kitchen and fold the laundry that still lay dormant in the dryer. 

At noon Neil busied himself making soup and strained it to broth. Andrew managed to eat a few  spoonful's before nausea had him pushing the bowl away. He threw it up fifteen minutes later, head bowed into the garbage bin at the side of the bed while Neil held the bin in one hand and rubbed soothing circles on Andrew’s back with the other. 

* * *

More than once over the course of the day Andrew threatened Neil with bodily harm if he didn’t leave but the man seemed resolved in his task as caretaker. And he meant every word of the  threats but his body wouldn’t cooperate long enough to stand to take a piss much less throttle his neighbor. 

It was infuriating and humiliating and comforting at the same time and Andrew hated it. As the hours passed – at least Andrew thought they were hours, Neil never left his side more than a few minutes. He took Andrew’s temperature over and over and when the sun started to sink in the sky Neil ran a bath of lukewarm water, telling him to lay there with an ice pack on his head. In his fever-addled state he allowed Neil to help him to the bathroom and didn’t even care to tell Neil to turn away as he slowly peeled his sweaty briefs down his thighs. He looked away anyways. 

Somehow, he could hear Neil from the other room, stomping around and the sound of fabric rustling. When the water turned completely cold Neil came back with a fresh pair of underwear and let him get dressed before hauling him back to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, fidgety and his hair a mess while Andrew flitted in and out of consciousness. 

* * *

The next time Andrew’s eyes cracked  open, Neil had just managed to slip the cool metal point of the thermometer between his lips. He didn’t complain and let Neil slide it under his tongue. When he pulled it away his brows knitted together warily and he shook the tiny stick to made sure he read it right. 

“Andrew...” he tried, but the  blonds eyes were closed already, his mouth open, breathing shallow breaths. 

He tried again, this time shaking his shoulder a little. “Andrew...”

Still nothing. After spending a full ten minutes pacing the beige carpet beside Andrew’s bed, Neill finally caved. He picked up the phone from the nightstand, the battery down to 20 percent from not having been charged in more than a day. There was a password lock on the phone but it had a thumbprint  option so Neil leaned down and picked up Andrew’s limp hand, holding a warm finger to the circular pad. The screen illuminated with apps and it took Neil a few minutes to find the contact list since it was an unfamiliar model. He scrolled through quickly. There was no ‘Aaron’ listed in the alphabetical list, but Andrew didn’t have many contacts and clearly the one labeled ‘Definitely the younger twin’ belonged to his brother. As he held the phone to his ear and left Andrew’s room, Neil tried not to dwell on the fact that he was labeled ‘Dumb bandana Neil who at least has nice thighs’. 

The phone picked up after two rings. “Andrew? Where the fuck have you been, I’ve been calling you for two days...”

“Andrew’s sick...” Neil blurted, his calm explanation ground into the carpet where his socked feet were currently still pacing. 

“He’s...who is this?” asked Aaron, suspiciously. 

“It’s Neil,” he said, suddenly annoyed.  _ Who else would it be? _ “Listen, Aaron...Andrew is  sick and he won’t let me take him to the hospital and I don’t know what to do. His fever is over a hundred and three and he’s just getting worse. That’s high right? I gave him some medication but I don’t think it’s working, I can’t even wake him up right now...Aaron he won’t wake up what do I...”

“Shut up....” Aaron’s voice lowered and took on a softer, serious quality that was foreign to Neil. “Just...don’t leave. I’m coming over.” 

“Shouldn’t I call an ambulance? What if...” 

“No,” said Aaron. “Andrew wouldn’t want that. Just sit tight, I’ll be there in ten.”

When Neil returned to Andrew’s bedside his eyes were open again and Neil thought it impossible to enjoy being glared at so much, but a wave of relief washed over him. He reached down but stopped himself from touching, hand tangling in the sheets instead. 

“I called your brother,” he admitted quietly, “He’s coming over.”

Andrew’s eyes were still glazed  over and his face morphed into an odd expression, something as near to an amused smile as Neil had ever seen. 

“He hates you....” croaked Andrew. “...for the prank.”

A long stream of air whistled from Neil’s nose and he pursed his lips. “Yea well, I don’t care. He’s kind of an asshole so he probably deserved it.”

Blunt nails scraped over the back of Neil’s scarred hand and he nearly jumped at the touch. Andrew picked up his hand and squeezed it between sweaty digits.

“He hates you.... n’doesn’t know you. I know you  n’I don’t hate you,” he slurred, lips still quirked upwards. 

Neil reached out with his hand that wasn’t being held hostage and pushed it under damp bangs to feel Andrew’s forehead again. He sounded almost drunk, which was probably a sign that his fever was getting even worse and the worry in Neil’s gut returned full force. 

“Well I’m glad you don’t hate me,” muttered Neil, trying to smile and failing.

Andrew’s eyes closed slowly, opening again in a lazy blink. “I  dun even hate you were Nathaniel...”

Going rigid, Neil almost pulled his hand away. “What did you say?”

Andrew’s head turned side to side twice, blinking up again through heavy lids. “Aaron’s an asshole...but...but ur dad was a worse. A worse asshole. He was...bad...”

“How do you....Andrew,” Neil couldn’t stop himself from asking. “How do you know about...about...”

After coughing several times, Andrew reached up weakly to press two fingers to the scar on his cheek, pushing his face away before dropping his hand back to the mattress with a soft thump. “Internet....know everything...”

“How long? Andrew, how long have you  known ?” asked Neil, hating how panicked he sounded.

“Hm...?”

“I said how....”

Andrew was still wearing that amused  smile but Neil stared down at him with open shock, fighting for composure as his brain chided him for interrogating the man when he was completely out of it. Andrew closed his eyes again and Neil let out a shaky sigh, brushing his knuckles along Andrew’s arm before leaving the room again. 

Why hadn’t he said anything? How long had he known? And what did this mean for them? Surely Andrew wouldn’t want to be around the son of a murdering mobster.... According to people he’d met in the past his father's criminal background had come up as subject matter for many criminal justice courses...maybe that’s how he knew? There had even been talk about a tv movie at one point. Neil himself had been approached about it and had told the interested parties to fuck off. And he’d already decided he needed to tell Andrew. So why was he so confused right now?

Neil wasn’t sure how to feel about the new information but now wasn’t the time to worry about it. He pulled out his phone and looked at the time. It had been thirteen minutes. At fourteen minutes and seven seconds, he’d punched in the numbers 9-1-1 and just before his thumb jammed the button to dial, someone knocked at the door. 

He pocketed the device and flew to the door so fast the cats scattered at his feet, jamming themselves under the couch. The door opened with gust of pleasantly cold air and Aaron brushed past him immediately without any pleasantry or even kicking off his shoes. He had a large, leather bag in hand and swept into the bedroom.

Aaron immediately opened the bag and went to work, batting away Andrews hand when Andrew reached up to push him away and mutter  obscenities .  _ ‘Fuck off.’ ‘Go home. _ ’ Aaron checked his heart rate, checked his respirations and oxygen saturation. He checked his temperature again with the same fancy thermometer he had brought to the party. When it beeped, he showed it to Neil who leaned over to look from his watchful post behind Aaron’s shoulder. 

“103. 6....that’s what it was earlier,” added Neil. 

The other blond surveyed the area and picked up the  Tylenol bottle. “When did you give him this?”

Neil explained he’d given him one dose that morning and would give him a second dose in an hour.

Aaron nodded a few times, looking down at his twin. “It’s not good. But give the medication time to take his fever down.”

“ So ,you don’t think he needs to go to the hospital?” asked Neil, skeptically.

“ Of course he  fucking needs to...” said Aaron bitterly, “But he won’t forgive us if we take him there and he’s not dying. We can give it more time before we make a decision.”

Andrew was completely out again, his breathing still labored and irregular, but his face was slack now, lacking the  unnerving smile or pained scowl. 

Aaron finally turned to Neil, standing up. “Did you get vaccinated?” 

"Last week,” Neil said with a nod. 

“Has he eaten anything?”

“I tried to give him  broth but he threw it up. I got him to drink a little but not much. I thought Andrew said you were a microbiologist?” asked Neil, crossing his arms.

Aaron shot him a familiar, scathing look. “I’m a doctor, we all do rotations in general medicine in school.” 

Neil just shrugged and Aaron put his bag on the floor, pushing it against the  nightstand with his foot. “I need to run out. Call me if anything changes. I won’t be long.” 

For the next hour and twelve minutes, Neil spent his time sitting on the edge of Andrew’s bed, changing out the damp cloth on his head for fresh ones every fifteen minutes and trying to keep the cats from curling up next to Andrew and making him warmer than he already was. Aaron texted him half an hour later and said to hold off on the dose of meds. 

Neil couldn’t ever remember worrying about another person like this and was relieved when Aaron turned up again at ten after seven. He took the time to kick his shoes off this time and had another bag with him, a recycled grocery bag that he unceremoniously upended on the bed. There were two clear bags with a yellowish liquid in it, along with various bits of medical equipment.

“Where did you get this stuff?” asked Neil, picking up one of the banana bags and rolling it between his hands. 

Aaron snatched the bag. “The hospital I work at sometimes.”

An auburn eyebrow jutted towards the ceiling. “And they just...loaned you everything?”

The blond scowled at him briefly, an expression identical to his brothers, and finished sorting through the items.

“I wasn’t always a Doctor,” he said cryptically, “and they won’t miss it.”

When the objects were cleared away Aaron sat down again, reaching out to slap Andrew on the cheek a few times. “Andrew....Andrew...”

Andrew woke, taking a weak swing that Aaron had anticipated and swatted away. “I’m going to put in an IV. You need a high dose of meds to take your fever down and you need fluids. Don’t rip it out and don’t fucking hit me when I stick you.”

Aaron gave his face another little slap when he started to doze  again and Andrew finally mumbled out “Fine...”

Neil watched as Aaron put on a pair of gloves and tied a blue band around Andrew's arm just above his elbow, prodding at a vein on the back of his hand. He didn’t fight or even twitch when Aaron stuck him or taped down the needle. After administering some sort of medication from a clear vial, he hooked the needle up to some sort of tubing. 

“Go get the coat rack from the living room...” commanded Aaron. 

Neil stared at him, confused, until he yelled “Now!” loud enough that Neil jumped and moved to comply. He tossed the coats on the couch and carried the rack in into the bedroom. Aaron pushed the nightstand aside with his foot  and nodded to the space in between the table and bed. Neil put the wooden stand in the free space and Aaron attached the yellow bag to the tubing and hung it from one of the coat posts, squeezing it lightly. Andrew stirred but only turned his head to the other side. 

“This will fix him?” Neil asked, lip swollen and bitten from the way he’d been chewing it. 

Tossing the gloves in the nearby bin, Aaron stood and motioned for Neil to follow. “It will help. The reason people keep dying of this if because the fever lasts to long. People can’t sustain fevers that high for an extended period of time. And it doesn’t help that the incubation period is so long...by the time they start feeling symptoms they’ve been walking around for a week or more. How long as he been like this?”

They stopped and Neil pulled the door closed to a crack. “I don’t know...I just sort of broke in today because I hadn’t heard from him in a few days. He said he had a slight fever on the 8 th ...”

“How did he even get sick?” asked Aaron, cutting him off. “He promised he wouldn’t go out and would at least wear a mask...I told him it wasn’t safe until he got his shot.  Of course he didn’t  fucking listen to me, he never does...do you know where he’s been?

Scratching his head, Neil tried to wrack his brain. Since he hadn’t talked to Andrew in  days he had no idea where he could have been going. 

“I’m not going to tell anyone he’s sick if I can avoid it because they’ll want to hospitalize him but I should report wherever he could have picked it up,” clarified Aaron, as if that was the reason for Neil’s hesitation. 

He searched his memory. “I don’t know...I mean, he went with you guys to  Columbia but he sent me that selfie in that ugly  mask..I don’t know anywhere else...oh.”

“What?” asked Aaron, shortly, probably unappreciative of a barb about his wife’s handmade mask. 

“We....I took him out. Last Saturday. We went to a couple restaurants. But we barely got near  anyone and it was more than a week ago...I.....this is my fault.” said Neil, frowning now. 

“Probably,” offered Aaron.

“Oh god...” 

“God has nothing to do with it.” 

Neil left the room and hide in the kitchen, trying not to have a panic attack. This was his fault. He never should have talked Andrew into going out that night. Andrew might die and it was all his fault. How could he not have seen this?  _ You destroy everything you touch _ , an old voice told him. Neil dropped to a crouch and wove fingers in his hair, pulling enough to feel it, enough to try and ground him in the moment so he wouldn’t fall into the darkest shadows of his mind. 

Aaron appeared, looking annoyed and exhausted, staring at him as he stood and paced. 

“Where did you go? I need to make an anonymous call to the CDC.” 

It was a miracle Neil managed to form words at all, but he was somehow able to tell him the names of the two restaurants they had visited before collapsing on the couch, grabbing the back of his neck. How could he have been so stupid. 

_ What if Andrew died? _ He thought again. And why was Aaron just letting this happen...surely needing Andrew to live out-weighed how he felt about the hospital. 

“Aaron, we need to take him to the hospital we can’t let him ....I can’t lose him...” he looked up, expression bleak and pained at the same time. 

Aaron surveyed him curiously. “I’ll take him if he needs to go. Right  now, he doesn’t.”

He squeezed the back of his neck harder and forced air into his lungs. 

“Why do you care so much? You barely know him,” said Aaron, standing over him with his arms folded. 

“I know him,” Neil said defensively, anger surging and making his panic ease a little. 

Aaron leaned against the wall where the coat rack had once been. “You don’t know him enough to know why he doesn’t want to go to the hospital. If you did you wouldn’t be pushing so hard.”

“Why doesn’t he want to go to the hospital?” he asked in spite of himself. 

Aaron just stared at him. “What is he to you?”

Taken aback, Neil had a hard time meeting Aaron’s scrutinizing gaze. He knew how he felt about Andrew. Knew what it meant to have Andrew in his life. But when he needed them most the words failed him. “He...he’s...I mean he....”

Pushing off the wall, Aaron turned and paused with his hand on the door. He wasn’t as intimidating as Andrew but still there was a certain sense of danger in him and Neil watched his movements despite not being able to look him in the eye.

“You don’t even know,” he said viciously. “You can go until you figure it out.”

“I’m not....” Neil stood, readying for a fight. 

“Leave.” Aaron opened the door and tossed Neils shoes onto the concrete platform. “I’ll let you know if anything changes, but go. I’m not babysitting the both of you. I don’t need your help and I owe him. So, go.” 

Neil held his ground for another few seconds then turned and snatched his bag from the couch and slammed the door, seething the rest of the night until his body couldn’t stay awake any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of fever drunk Andrew baring his soul to Neil and Andrew being a big baby when he's sick. 
> 
> I used to give one of my exes shit because when he was sick he basically became an invalid and tried to tell me 'well I have a lot of muscles and when you're sick all those muscles hurt so basically I'm dying' and that is basically how I imagine Andrew. XD


	11. Nothing but Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All credit to Nora, I own nothing.
> 
> ~*~  
> Another update! I have three weeks off school so I'm trying to get as much writing in as I can. 
> 
> THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I will try and get to the comments when I can. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They eat a lot of food in this chapter idk. 
> 
> ~*~
> 
> CHAPTER RATING: T (shower scene but nothing sexual)

January 11th

Bleary eyes stared down at the dimly lit phone screen for the thirtieth time that morning. Neil managed only a few hours of sleep before he woke, feeling spread thin and not nearly rested enough. He compensated by drinking five cups of black coffee and doing a hundred  push-ups but it wasn’t enough to distract him from checking his phone every five minutes since the sun had begun to rise. Of the  two-dozen text’s he’d sent Aaron from the night before, having memorized the number from Andrew’s phone, Aaron only responded once with a very clear ‘Fuck off.’ Twice Neil had walked over and contemplated knocking. Once he’d thought about picking the lock again. By seven am he decided to treat his anxiety by giving himself even more anxiety - looking up things about the flu pandemic. He googled statistics, news reports, CDC and WHO reports. He even ventured to the darkest parts of reddit where nut-jobs were touting cures that were as useless as a high-dose of vitamin C and a glass of kombucha, and as deadly as drinking rubbing alcohol. 

On the occasion that he stumbled across something that legitimately looked like science, he would call Aaron and leave rambling messages about experimental treatments and what drug combinations they had the best luck with to take down a fever. By the third call the generic voicemail had been changed to ‘Stop fucking calling me Josten, I turned off the phone.’ Neil tossed the phone aside with irritation and slammed his forehead down on the keyboard in a huff. 

He must have dozed off because when he looked up again the laptop read 9:22am and he could feel the indentions of the square keys pressed into the skin of his forehead. His stomach growled  obnoxiously and he rubbed his neck as he made his way to the kitchen, phone in hand once again. Still no messages. 

By 10:30am Neil had showered, eaten a bowl of cereal and drank another cup of coffee. He couldn’t resist and texted Aaron again. ‘Any change? Please just tell me.’ 

To his surprise his phone buzzed back less than twenty minutes later. ‘Temp is down to 101.8, he’s asleep.’

His body sagged against the couch in relief. 

After dozing again for an hour, he got a second wind around noon and decided to try the recipe Andrew had sent him for the blueberry muffins. Surely baking would take his mind off things. It took two tries, but the second batch came out okay...and the first batch...well, he could just cut the bottoms off and they would still be edible for a few hours at least before they turned into rocks. 

Neil drummed his fingers on the messy counter he hadn’t bothered to clean and waited for the second batch to be cool enough to remove from the pan. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Aaron had asked him the night before. 

He didn’t know  really, what Andrew was to him. And the more he realized he  _ didn’t _ know the more it pissed him off. Andrew was important. That much he knew. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on  _ why _ . It wasn’t until he was plucking the hot muffins from the tin, burning the edges of his fingers on the metal that it finally hit him. 

Hastily, Neil packed up the best batch in a large tin he had left over from Christmas popcorn Randy had given him and stalked over to Andrews. It was just after two in the afternoon and even though his body was buzzing with pent-up  energy, he forced himself to knock quietly in case Andrew was sleeping. Aaron answered the door with a scowl and looked to have gotten even less sleep than Neil. 

“I thought I told you...”

“He’s a pipe dream,” blurted Neil. 

Aaron’s sour expression shifted to one of confusion and he blinked slowly. “...what?”

“You asked me what Andrew was to me,” he said defiantly, stepping just inside the threshold. “He’s a pipe dream. Maybe I don’t know everything about him, but I want to. And he knows more about me than I’ve ever let anyone else know. I probably don’t deserve him and he’s something I never thought I would have...or even want. But I  _ do _ want him and I’m not letting go just because you’re trying to scare me away. I’m not leaving until Andrew tells me to go.”

“.....Christ, this isn’t the hallmark channel,” muttered Andrew, from his spot leaning against the doorway between the living room and his bedroom. “Now close my fucking door unless you plan on pitching in for the power bill.”

“Andrew!” Neil dropped the tin on the floor and kicked his shoes off so hard they scuffed the wall behind him. He rushed to Andrew. “Are you okay? How do you fee....”

“Help me to the bathroom...idiot,” he said quietly, holding up an arm so Neil could slide neatly under it. 

He could hear Aaron cursing quietly from the living room as held Andrew’s sweaty arm over his shoulder and guided him to the bathroom, his fingers digging tightly into Andrew’s waist. Andrew was supporting himself more than the day before and only coughed once, turning to stifle it in the crook of his free arm. 

The cough was followed by a self-depreciating chuckle. “If I throw up on you it’s only half intentional...”

Neil rolled his eyes, hoping that the return of his dry humor meant he was feeling better. “Shut up asshole. Toilet or tub?”

“Shower,” he rasped, reaching towards the curtain once they were inside. 

Helping him to sit on the edge of the tub, Neil reached around Andrew to turn on the water. Andrew carefully balanced on the edge and reached back, grimacing at the warmth. 

“If I make it any cooler you’ll start shivering and your fever will spike again...” he said, recalling his late night/early morning googling. 

“Whatever. Just tell doctor dumbass in  there to sit down, I can hear him pacing from in here.”

“I thought...I was doctor dumbass?” Neil countered with a ridiculous pout, sounding entirely too sincere. 

Andrew barked out a laugh that turned into another coughing fit. 

“Andrew?” called Aaron, inching closer to the bathroom. 

“Fuck off,” Andrew attempted between coughs. 

And just for good measure Neil repeated him. “He said fuck of...”

“Yea I fuckin’ heard him....”

Neil smirked and Andrew returned the look, climbing into the tub while batting away Neil’s attempts to help. 

“I see you two are getting along swimmingly,” muttered Andrew.

Once Andrew was sitting in the tub, Neil stood once more to adjust the shower-head, so the spray was directly on his middle. “Yea well, he has the personality of an angry  chihuahua .”

“Because you are so charming?” asked Andrew, wetting his hands and pushing them through his already damp hair.

“I’m charming as shit,” Neil grinned. 

Andrew rolled his  eyes but Neil missed it because Andrew yanked the curtain closed in his face. “Shit, historically, is not very charming.”

He kept his grin on the Andrew shaped blob through the curtain. “Well glad you seem to have enough strength back to argue with me.”

As humidity filled the air, Neil left  momentarily to dig out a pair of clothes and set them on the closed toilet lid. 

After another beat of silence Neil tapped on the curtain. “Do you want me to stay?”

The Andrew behind the curtain moved in a way that suggested he was shaking his head. After another bit of  movement a pair of wet boxer-briefs flew from behind the curtain and slapped against Neil’s sweatpants covered calf. He swore, kicking away the damp garment. “Fine. We’re just outside if you need anything. Don’t slip and break your hip old man.”

A shampoo bottle sailed through the crack in the curtain next and Neil just managed to dodge it.

His smile dissipated as soon as he locked eyes with Aaron, who was still pacing in the living room, phone in hand. He changed the sheets but could only stall for so long and carefully moved warily towards the couch, half expecting Aaron to try and kick him out again. Eventually the other Minyard dropped onto the other end, flinching a little when his toe brushed King’s foot. She hissed at him and jumped onto Neil’s lap, settling immediately as he stroked her mottled fur. 

“Don’t think your little speech is going to make me back off. I still don’t like you.”

“I still don’t care.” 

“If you hurt my  brother, I’ll kill you.”

“Noted.”

The silence was so heavy Neil could count every tick on the clock across the room. He turned a little in his seat to face Aaron, careful not to jostle the sleeping feline too much.

“Yesterday you said you owe him. What did you mean?” 

Aaron tensed and Neil was sure he wouldn’t answer. But maybe exhaustion was weighing on him because he leaned against the back of the couch, arms still crossed. 

“When I was sick....” he started, and then sighed heavily, as if the words were too heavy a weight to hold in. “When I was high...Andrew got me clean. He’s looked out for me since we met. I didn’t usually thank him for it. I  _ never _ thanked him for it. I always hoped I could start to repay the  debt but this is the first time he’s been vulnerable enough to let me help with anything.”

Neil tapped his index finger on King’s forehead. “You should. Thank him. But if you don’t, I think he already knows.”

“No one asked you,” said Aaron, clearly uncomfortable about his previous admission.

“Whatever.”

Half an hour later Neil's phone rang a second time, having ignored it fifteen minutes earlier. When he picked up,  he could see Aaron scrutinizing him but turned his head away to talk. 

“Tony...sorry something came up. It was an emergency. I don’t think I’m coming in tomorrow either. No. ..I don’t care...Tony it’s a part-time job and I make $12 an hour you can fucking fire me if you  want, I don’t care ....okay bye.”

Neil slammed the phone down and exchanged a look with Aaron only once before going back to their uncomfortable silence, glaring at the blank tv until Andrew emerged a little while later. His hair was dripping but he was wearing the t-shirt and sweats Neil had left for him and his face was a little less pink. 

“I think I can eat...” said Andrew, with an expression that clearly meant he had toiled over the revelation and had to fight with himself not to try and make his own food. 

Neil was up immediately, nodding and shooing Andrew back to the bedroom. He made another bowl of broth and brought it to Andrew, who was at least sitting up in bed, propped against a cloud of pillows.

Neil sat on the bed, having left a couple feet between himself and Andrew when Aaron poked his head in. He stayed long enough to check Andrew’s temperature and left again with a frown. A few minutes later the tv cut on and Neil could hear the familiar sound of a game being played. 

Feeling that they finally had a few minutes of privacy, even with the door cracked, Neil rolled onto his side to watch Andrew as he set the half empty bowl on the bedside table, which Aaron had pushed back in place. The coat rack was sitting in the corner with the empty banana bag hanging from it. Andrew idly rubbed at his hand where a  bandaid hid the needle mark.

“I told you to stay away,” breathed Andrew, looking skywards. “If you get sick and die I will stand over your corpse and say ‘I told you so’.”

It should be funny. Normally Neil’s own dark humor matched Andrew’s but instead he frowned. 

“It’s my fault...” he said quietly. “You got sick because I made you go out.”

Andrew dropped his chin to the side to look down at Neil. “No one makes me do anything.”

“But...”

“I  also went to a home improvement store and picked cup carry-out in Columbia,” sighed Andrew. “If you want to blame yourself for something then blame yourself for Aaron being here. I can hear him pissing off the team I play overwatch with. They’re never going to let me play again.”

Neil continued frowning but let his eyes flutter closed at the feel of Andrew’s hand in his hair. 

“You look like shit...” whispered Andrew, tugging his hair a little. 

Neil’s eyes flew open and this time he could feel the ghost of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I look better than you.”

“Impossible.”

He buried his smile in the pillow and Andrew sank further down in the bed, keeping his hand woven around wisps of auburn hair. 

* * *

Neil woke to the loud beep of the infrared thermometer as Aaron held it to Andrew’s forehead at an awkward angle since he’d fallen asleep on his side, facing Neil. Neil sat up with a yawn and leaned forward to read the small print on the back of the screen when Aaron held it aloft for inspection. 101.1.

It was dark outside and the clock next to the bed read 8:08 pm. Andrew groggily turned on his back and threw an arm over his face when Aaron turned on the bedside lamp. Doctor Minyard packed his bag carefully but left a vial of something along with a packaged syringe on the table. 

“I’m going home before Katelyn has a stroke. I left instructions in case your fever comes back and you need another dose, but I think the pills are  fine now. You’re through the worst of it. Call if you need anything,” he said, hoisting the back over his shoulder. 

Before he had a chance to make it to the door Andrew stopped him with a quiet “Aaron.”

Aaron turned, one hand still on the door. 

“Apologize to the cheerleader for me for keeping you.”

Aaron nodded and left, but Neil could see the grateful look that passed between the twins. It wasn’t an explicit ‘ _ thank you, _ ’ or ‘ _ you’re welcome _ .’ But he could see that they had their own methods of communication and that an understanding had been reached. 

At the sound of the front door closing, Neil climbed from the bed and stretched his arms out over his head. “Why don’t you go rinse off again. I’ll change the sheets again and bring you ice cream for dinner.”

For once in his life, Andrew decided not to argue and climbed slowly from the nest of blankets. He wobbled a bit but otherwise managed to forage a clean change of clothes and make it to the bathroom without incident. 

Just as Neil finished loading the washer with soiled sheets (why did Andrew even _ have _ nine sets of sheets?), Andrew dropped onto the couch with a pint of mint-chocolate chip. Neil settled in beside him and shook his head at the offer of ice cream, instead eating one of the blueberry muffins from the tin beside the couch. The cats joined them soon after, having been fed and ready to relax for the evening. After two Marvel movies Andrew prodded Neil’s limp form until he  woke and they headed back to Andrew’s bed for the night. 

* * *

January 12 th

The bed was soaked. It might have been disgusting if the realization that followed wasn’t full of relief. Andrew was already curled onto his side, staring at Neil when he woke the next morning. It took a couple seconds for him to get his bearings but once his eyes were fully opened, Neil reached over in a panic to feel Andrew’s forehead, finding it barely warmer than his own hand. 

Throwing back the damp sheet, Neil crawled over Andrew’s chest to reach for the nightstand, nearly smothering the blond in the process. Andrew pushed him roughly back to his side when he had his prize in hand. Neil shoved the thermometer in Andrew’s pursed lips and pulled it out a few seconds later at the beep – 98.4. A grin stretched over his features and he couldn’t help the hand he pressed to Andrew’s cheek. 

“How do you feel?” he asked. 

Andrew rolled his eyes and turned over to his back, batting away Neil’s hand. “Disgusting.”

The cats joined them a few seconds later but Neil threw the sheet to the floor, hopping up with entirely too much energy and a smile still plastered on his face. “Shower?”

* * *

Neil brushed his teeth and stripped before Andrew made it to the bathroom. When he was standing under the warm, but not too warm, spray, Andrew entered. Neil heard the toilet lid, the sound of Andrew relieving himself, another  click of the lid and then sound of the sink. It was a full ten minutes before Andrew  actually joined him. 

The blond moved slowly but at least stood this time, glancing a kiss off Neil’s jaw before dropping his forehead on Neil’s shoulder. He leaned some of his weight forward and Neil held him up easily. He soaped up one of the fancy looking sponges and held it down at his side so Andrew would see it.    
  
“Yes?” asked Neil. 

Andrew nodded against him and Neil went to work, lathering pale skin with even paler suds. Andrew stayed put, tilted against him, but raised his arms when Neil prompted him. When he was finished, his flicked his eyes down to Andrew’s calves before looking back up. He’d been careful to stay above the waist. 

“I’ll uh...get out.  So you can do the rest,” he said with a loud swallow. 

Neil started to put the sponge back in the tray but Andrew grabbed his elbow. 

“Wait.”

Turning back, Neil watched as Andrew straightened up and his fingers hooked beneath the white band of his dark blue underwear. Andrew’s head tipped up and their gazes locked and held as he pushed down the sopping garment, using his toe to kick it to the back of the tub where it dangled over the side, not quite having cleared the rim. With a meaningful glance, Andrew flicked his eyes to the sponge and then back to Neil, holding his stare in a silent challenge. Neil didn’t disappoint. 

He took to the task of washing Andrew’s lower half – hips, thighs, calves and feet. After rinsing the sponge once and lathering it back up, he took a deep breath and reached for Andrew’s groin and around to his ass. Andrew remained silent, his breathing deep and eyes looking like they wanted to close but stayed locked on Neil’s head. Andrew’s fingers dug into his shoulders as he worked, using it to balance himself. Neil used the touch to keep himself in the moment, to try and concentrate on what he was doing rather than what he would _ like _ to be doing. 

As soon as he finished, Neil stood and  rotated them so Andrew was under the water. They shared a lazy kiss under the  spray, but it lasted only seconds and then Andrew reached back to turn the water off, their eyes still locked. 

They toweled off in silence and dressed separately, Neil in the bedroom and Andrew in the bathroom. Neil returned to dump his clothes in Andrew’s hamper to find him sitting on the toilet, stilling working his hair with a small hand towel. 

Neil leaned down to press a kiss to his finally, not sweaty, brow. “Can you eat?”

“Hmm..” Andrew hummed. “Toast?”

With a nod and a second kiss pressed to pink, warm lips, Neil wove his way through screaming felines towards to the kitchen. 

Half an hour later he found Andrew on the couch, swallowing another dose of medicine and framed on each side by a cat who seemed to have missed his attention for the last few days. Each hand was buried in fur. 

Neil settled in beside Andrew, holding out a paper plate with two pieces of lightly buttered toast and a little squeeze bottle of honey on the side. He kept the plate of toast and scrambled eggs with cheese for himself. After nibbling on the toast for a few minutes Neil caught Andrew looking down at his eggs. He scooped a small portion on his fork and held it up in offering. Andrew glared at him for a few seconds but leaned forward to pull the egg off the fork, chewing slowly. A heavy sigh and a few seconds after swallowing Andrew nodded and Neil held up another bite. This time Andrew snatched the fork and took it for himself, and then another small bite afterwards. After the third mouthful he set the fork back down and shook his head, reaching for his toast instead. 

Andrew drank a full cup of the  pedialyte and since he didn’t puke after eating, Neil breathed yet another sigh of relief and internally thanked whatever  deity or karmic force had kept Andrew safe. He would be okay and Neil had never felt so grateful.

* * *

January 17 th

It took Andrew several more days to recover and for his flu symptoms to fully abate, but he did return to full health with the care of his brother and his infuriatingly perfect neighbor who he now realized he couldn’t toss to the side even if he wanted to. 

Classes had also technically started back that Monday but according to the school everything would be online that semester. Neil preferred it that way and wished the rest of his college courses could have been done in his pajamas at his dining room table or lounging on Andrew’s couch with cats warm against his thighs. 

After finishing up an assignment, Neil traded his pajama bottoms for sweatpants and headed next door, opening it with the spare key Andrew had given him the day before. Andrew was sitting at his own desk, hunched over books and his keyboard, his glasses perched on his nose. He gave a cursory wave to his visitor and Neil waved back before heading to the kitchen. It was his turn to cook – which they decided would only happen once a week since Neil was a disaster in the kitchen and was only allowed limited access with Andrew’s supervision. He was, however, allowed to make breakfast foods since it was the only  thing he _ could _ make without destroying an appliance or burning something. 

When he returned to the living room with a stack of cinnamon and icing covered pancakes, bacon and fruit (and blueberry pancakes for himself), Andrew plucked the reading glasses from his face and closed his book. He joined Neil at the couch and they leaned over the table to shovel food into hungry mouths. 

Neil made idle commentary about the state of Andrew’s weight room, which had been noticeably used in the last few hours and told him he shouldn’t be exerting himself so soon. Andrew returned the comment with one of his own, wondering why Neil was so concerned with him ‘exerting’ himself when he hadn’t seemed to have such a problem with it the night before. Neil’s ears went pink and he ate the last of his pancakes in silence. He was surprised Andrew was able to finish eating, what with the smug expression he was wearing. 

Neil smiled around his fork, to fond of the memory to be annoyed at his counterpoint. They were still taking it slow, but every time he was with Andrew, Andrew gave him another small piece of trust and Neil tried to give him one in return. But something was still bothering him. When he finished with his  food he pushed it away on the coffee table and sat back to eye Andrew, who had already finished. 

He nudged King and Sir away from investigating his empty plate. “Andrew....how did you find out about...who I am?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Andrew, fiddling with the remote to pull up Netflix. 

“When you were sick...you said you knew about me. About...Nathaniel.”

Andrew stilled. He put down the remote and leaned forward on his knees, looking at the blank screen ahead. “I was going to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” asked Neil, pulling a leg onto the couch so he could turn to face Andrew. 

“That I knew.” 

The clock ticked. Somewhere outside a car backfired. One of the cats mewed.

“How? Since when?” 

Andrew turned and fought to hold Neil’s gaze, which he found more pensive than accusatory. A good sign, he guessed. “Since you moved in. I put all the neighbors on google alert as soon as I learn their names. But before that I recognized you....I lived in South Carolina when you...when it all came out. I remembered the news.”

Neil shifted in place his eyes briefly dropping to his foot where his hands wrung around his ankle. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”

“Because I didn’t mean to know,” said Andrew with a sigh. He reached out and pushed Neil’s chin back  up so they were looking at each other again. “Your past is your business not mine.”

Andrew’s hand dropped back to his own lap. 

“It doesn’t change anything,” he said, and it sounded defiant almost, final.

Neil nodded a few times, his mind trying to wrap his mind around the information. 

“It would be okay, if it did,” said Neil, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m safe now...I think. They found most of his people. But there is still a chance....and it’s a lot. More than anyone else should have to deal with.”

“It doesn’t change anything,” Andrew repeated, looking almost angry this time. 

“Thank you,” said Neil, unsure of what else to say.

Andrew turned his attention back to the tv, finding a new documentary. A few minutes into the show he turned to face Neil, mirroring his position where he still hadn’t turned forward again. 

“Neil. You are not the only one with skeletons...and one day I will tell you about them.”

“Andrew that’s not...you don’t have to...”

Andrew held up a hand to stop him. 

“I want to. Not right now. But if this is anything....” he admitted, gesturing between the two of them. “If we can keep it, I want to.” 

Neil opened and closed his mouth several times. “Okay.”

“Okay,” repeated Andrew. 

With the air cleared, Andrew turned the volume up on the television and tossed aside the remote. Neil could feel the smile creeping onto his face. He never thought that a month ago he’d find himself here. Never thought in a lifetime he would find someone like Andrew at all. Someone who could take everything about him and still want more. He grinned and somehow Andrew must have noticed. He reached to the side without turning his head and pressed two fingers to Neil's cheek. 

“Stop looking at me like that and come here....” 

Neil kept grinning and shuffled across the couch, let Andrew pull him onto his lap and slot his legs beside his thighs. And then he let Andrew kiss the grin from his face. There would be more time to look at him ‘like that’ later. Hopefully, a lot more time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love soft Andreil. 
> 
> Also I actually love Aaron even though he's a colossal asshole.


End file.
